Reclining Nude 1931 by Henry Moore, 1898-1986

Henry Moore, 1898-1986
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Reclining Nude 1931

Original wood engraving - white line on black. 1931. Signed in pencil. Inscribed as VII of X (no 7 of 10 proofs). Proof before the edition of 50 impressions. The block was cut by Moore in 1931 but no impressions exist from that date. The only edition was printed for Moore in 1966. Printed at the studio of Fequet and Baudier, Paris. Rare.
Ref: Cramer - Henry Moore Graphic Work no 2

Superb crisp impression. On pale cream light japan paper. Excellent condition. Full margins. Sheet: 9 x 12 1/2ins. Block: 4 x 6 3/8ins ( 102x160mm).

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Reclining Figure 1931 is one of Moore?s two earliest known prints. Worked in the medium of wood-engraving, which was very much in the forefront of artistic attention amongst British artists at this date, it is significant that he decided to use it in the ?reverse form? - that is ?white line on black? which had been pioneered by Eric Gill, a sculptor whom Moore greatly admired.
The white line treatment gives an emphasis to the line, and in particular to the movement of the line, which echoed very closely Moore?s ideas about the links between drawing and sculpture, about how a line in two dimensions could lead the mind to create a three-dimensional form.

There are also very strong visual links in this work to drawings by Le Corbusier from this date (and indeed to his first etchings in the 1940?s) and to drawings by Laurens, and both these links serve to emphasise Moore?s consciousness of sculpture ideas in Paris at the beginning of the 1930?s. A further strong visual link is to the engravings of surrealist figures drawn by Stanley Hayter in the early 1930?s.

Moore engraved this wood block in 1931. However he did not pull any impressions at that date. In about 1962 Gerald Cramer was visiting Moore whilst working on the information for his forthcoming catalogue of Moore?s prints. Looking through old records in a drawer in a desk in the studio he found the block which Moore had thought lost. At Cramer?s suggestion Moore agreed that a few proofs and then a small edition should be printed by the exceptional block printers Fequet et Baudier in Paris. The impression above is one of the ten proofs before that edition. All impressions of the print are now very rare.