Henry Moore's Sheep Sketchbook

This book contains drawings by Henry Moore, one of the most representative sculptors of the 20th century, that he created in his later years, facing the nature around him.
In 1972, when preparations for a large-scale exhibition restricted his sculptural production, Moore moved to a small studio overlooking a sheep pasture and spent several months sketching sheep. This book contains delicately drawn sketches of lambs drinking milk, sheep being sheared, and mothers and children huddled together.

The motif of the ewe and lamb evokes the important theme of "mother and child" that underlies Moore's sculptures, and brings to light his creative thinking in a way that differs from abstract sculpture. Within the soft, improvisational lines, one can sense the sculptor's unique perspective, which seeks to capture volume and structure.

This book is a faithful facsimile of the sketchbook Moore gave to his daughter Mary, supervised by Moore himself. The actual sketchbook was reproduced throughout the day, with even the print-through and traces of the paper remaining intact. Rather than a collection of completed works, it feels like you're being handed a snapshot of Moore's thoughts and creations in progress, giving it a uniquely appealing behind-the-scenes look.
This book vividly conveys the source of sculptor Henry Moore's inspiration through quiet observations of everyday life.

[Title] Henry Moore's Sheep Sketchbook
[Publisher] THAMES AND HUDSON
[Publication date] 1998
[Number of pages] 112 pages
[Size] Approx. 24.8 x 20.5 cm
[Format] Softcover
[Title reading] Henry Moore's Sheep Sketchbook
[Author/Editor] Henry Moore/Author
[Printing] Slovenia/Printing and Binding
[ISBN] 0-500-28072-X
[Condition] Used [ 6 ] Below average (
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Henry Moore 1898-1986

Born in Castleford, Yorkshire, England in 1898, he is one of the leading sculptors of the 20th century. After serving in World War I, he studied sculpture at Leeds School of Art and later went on to study at the Royal College of Art (RCA). From the 1920s, he focused on the material properties of stone and wood, and promoted the "direct carving" technique, which involved carving directly into the object, thereby determining the direction of modern British sculpture.
He pursued a lifelong pursuit of abstract sculpture, focusing on the human body, particularly in his Reclining Figure and Mother and Child sculptures, and achieved international acclaim for his organic, voluminous forms. In the 1930s, he joined Unit One, contributing to the spread of Modernism in Britain.

During World War II, he created the "Shelter Drawings" depicting people taking refuge in air-raid shelters on the London Underground, and was highly acclaimed not only for his sculptures but also for his drawings. After the war, he received an increasing number of requests for large-scale public art, and his works were installed in cities and museums around the world. In 1946, he held a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and in 1948 he won the International Sculpture Prize at the Venice Biennale, solidifying his worldwide reputation.

While continuing to create art, he also devoted himself to art education and support, and in his later years he was involved in activities that led to the establishment of the Henry Moore Foundation. He passed away in 1986.

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