Reclining Figure Sculpture

Gazing at the Reclining Figure, one might sense a profound connection to ancient art. Right here in the Jardin des Tuileries rests Henry Moore’s masterpiece, Reclining Figure. This isn’t just any sculpture. It’s a bronze echo of a much larger travertine piece commissioned for UNESCO headquarters. The Reclining Figure initially graced the 1951 Festival of Britain. The artist, Henry Moore, son of a Yorkshire coal miner, defied his parents’ wishes and pursued art. After serving in World War I, Moore received a grant to study art, eventually traveling to Italy and France. In Paris, he encountered the Chac Mool at the Trocadero. This ancient Mesoamerican sculpture profoundly influenced his own work, particularly the Reclining Figure. The Reclining Figure began as sketches in 1949. These evolved into drawings, then small-scale plasticine models. Moore preferred plasticine to clay because it didn’t dry out as quickly. A small plaster model followed, then seven bronze casts. Finally, Moore created the full-size plaster version, documented by the BBC. Five full-size bronze casts were made. One was displayed at the Festival of Britain alongside an exhibition of Moore’s work at the Tate Gallery. The Reclining Figure before us, acquired by the Musée National d’Art Moderne in 1998, is one of these five. It became part of the Centre Pompidou’s collection. The Reclining Figure is strategically placed within the Tuileries Gardens. It sits between steps leading to the Terrasse du Bord de l’Eau, near the Seine and the Musée de l’Orangerie. The sculpture’s curves and hollows invite contemplation. They evoke both the female form and the natural world. Moore’s Reclining Figure, born from a coal miner’s dream and inspired by ancient cultures, now rests serenely in this Parisian garden.