Rediscovered artwork authenticated by the Henry Moore Foundation

One of the highlights is an artwork by Henry Moore (1898-1986), one of the most highly revered sculptors and painters of the 20th century. The work was brought to Forum Auctions for valuation by the owner who had believed it to be a print by the artist. However, upon further investigation, where it was taken out of its frame, it was discovered as an original drawing complete with Moore’s signature.

To confirm its status as an original rather than a print, Forum Auction’s International Head of Modern & Contemporary Art, Alexander Hayter, worked closely with the Henry Moore Foundation who hold the authority on authenticating his works. The Foundation carried out extensive research over two years to determine the status of the work, confirming that it is in fact an original work. The artwork will now feature in the artist's forthcoming catalogue raisonné (a published catalogue of an artist's entire portfolio during their lifetime) and is listed in the Henry Moore Foundation's archives.

Moore’s most frequent theme of ‘Mother and Child’

Created between 1947 and 1949, using Moore’s characteristic mediums of inks, watercolour and wax crayon, the drawings capture Moore’s most frequent theme, ‘Mother and Child Seated’. One side of the work depicts the affectionate gestures between mother and child explored from four different angles and poses, the child moving playfully while Moore captures each new perspective. Whilst on the reverse, a larger study of the pair is portrayed with a muted colour palette of pale green, yellow and translucent purple wash - the artist's attention here is on the core contours of the body and subtle light needed to create their silhouette.

Henry Moore (1898-1986)

Born during 1898 in Castleford, Yorkshire, Henry Moore had initially trained as a teacher but had a desire to explore his passion of becoming a sculptor. Following the First World War, Moore obtained an ex-serviceman’s grant which provided the opportunity to focus his attention to art.  He attended Leeds School of Art and then the Royal College of Art in London. During the 1920s, he developed his skills and reputation as a sculptor whilst studying the works and techniques of sculptors both historic and those of his contemporaries.

By the 1930s, Moore was considered to be one of the most important sculptors in Europe, however, his home and studio were bombed at the outbreak of World War II. Moore was forced to stop sculpting and instead moved his focus towards drawing, sketching his observations whilst sheltering in the London underground during the Blitz raids (1940-41). His iconic motifs of ‘Mother and Child’ were a prominent subject during the war period. It was also during this time that he mastered the technique of using wax crayon to resist with watercolour and ink washes - the wax resist allowed Moore to play with light and dark, capturing the shapes of figures in the shadows.

In 1944, he completed a commission of 'Madonna and Child' for St Matthew’s Church, Northampton. The focus on the subject was also marked by two major events in the artist’s life, his mother’s tragic death in 1944 and within two years, the birth of his only daughter, Mary. It was also around this time that the family relocated to Perry Green, Hertfordshire and his new studios were set in a countryside idyll of bright light and open space. In the recently discovered drawings you can see that Moore has moved away from the haunting evocation of fragility found in the earlier shelter series and instead has embraced warmth and joy in its study of the unspoken and intimate bond shared between mother and child.

A Previous 'Mother and Child' Discovery by Dreweatts

In March 2022, Dreweatts auctioned another ‘Mother and Child’ piece by Henry Moore, this time a previously unknown sculpture which had been left undiscovered for over 40 years, nestled amongst trinkets on a mantlepiece in a Wiltshire farmhouse. The work, authenticated by the Henry Moore Foundation in October 2021, is considered an extremely rare piece as it is cast in lead, which was a material the sculptor only used for a short period in the 1930s, during a time in his career when he was experimenting with other materials such as string and wire for his series of stringed sculptures. ‘Mother and Child’ is believed to be a preliminary design for one of these stringed sculptures, which explains the unusual markings on the front of the sculpture, which add to its’ joyful and playful nature. Read more...

The sculpture which measures just 17.2cm in height (excluding base) was offered in Dreweatts’ Modern and Contemporary Art auction and with competitive bidding both online and on the phones, sold for £400,000. Watch it sell at auction and learn more...

Auction Details

Thursday 14 December | 11am GMT
Forum Auctions, 4 Ingate Place, London SW8 3NS

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VIEWING:

Dreweatts London (selected highlights): 16-17 Pall Mall, St James’s, London SW1Y 5LU:

• Monday 27 November: 10am - 5pm
• Tuesday 28 November: 10am - 5pm
• Wednesday 29 November: 10am - 5pm
• Thursday 30 November: 12am - 12pm

Forum Auctions (full sale): 4 Ingate Place, London SW8 3NS | www.forumauctions.co.uk

Monday 4 - Thursday 14 December: viewing is available during opening hours (Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 5pm), strictly by appointment.

To book an appointment at Forum Auctions, please email: editions@forumauctions.co.uk or call +44 (0) 20 7871 2640.