Moore’s interest in landscape was lifelong; he had for over thirty years been looking at the female form as a metaphor for the earth. As early as 1930 Moore stated: ’The sculpture which moves me most is full blooded and self-supporting, fully in the round, that is, its component forms are completely realised and work as masses in opposition . . . it is not perfectly symmetrical, it is static and it is strong and vital, giving out something of the energy and power of great mountains.’

The selection for this exhibition takes as its starting point the late 1950s, when Moore first fragmented the human figure in order to convey a sense of metamorphosis with the land. Two early examples are Two Piece Reclining Figure No.1 1959 and Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 2 1960 where the body is divided into separate forms, echoing rocky outcrops or cliff faces. ’They have the look of being products of the earth itself. They are bronzes but we see them as outcrops of stone, formed far back in geological time, and so the resemblance of woman assumes the significance of a prediction in history.’

The exhibition is drawn mainly from the Henry Moore Foundation’s own collection, and is a development of the exhibition Henry Moore: Imaginary Landscapes on show in 2003/4 at the Sheep Field Barn, in the grounds of the Henry Moore Foundation, Much Hadham, Hertfordshire. A selection from this exhibition then went on to tour to the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, USA.

Landscapes will tour to Opelvillen, Rüsselsheim, opening on the 4th November 2007 until 30th March 2008.