Draped reclining Mother and baby

myminifactory

This iconic piece by Henry Moore is formed by swelling masses, where a mother reclines tenderly cradling her small child. The massive figure's anatomy is largely concealed by drapery, but a clearly defined arm forms a protective right angle around the stiff, inert baby. The mother's eyes, the only feature on her otherwise blank face, stare unblinkingly outward at the viewer. A rich golden surface, punctuated by bright highlights and dark caverns, enhances the sculpture's warm, protective quality. The horizontal form's hollows and curves, tarnished and hatched to emphasize depth, partly transform the figure into a glimmering rolling landscape. This work combines several themes that preoccupied Henry Moore: the reclining figure, the relationship between mother and child, and the landscape. Moore began exploring the reclining figure motif in drawings made in the late 1920s--nearly sixty years before creating this sculpture. Despite his continued interest in this subject, the sculptor resisted attaching any specific or symbolic meaning to it, insisting that the reclining figure was simply a formal vessel - a pose he understood and greatly appreciated - allowing him to explore questions of form.