Working Model for Reclining Figure Sculpture

What inspired Henry Moore’s monumental Working Model for Reclining Figure (Lincoln Center)? Here, at Charing Cross Hospital, we’re face to face with a smaller version, a key to unlocking that mystery. This bronze sculpture, a precursor to the massive piece at Lincoln Center, New York, embodies Moore’s signature style. It’s a two-part work. One part represents a human torso. The other evokes a rock emerging from water. The Working Model for Reclining Figure (Lincoln Center) is more than just a model. It’s a testament to Moore’s fascination with the interplay of human forms and the natural world. He saw figures and landscapes as intertwined. This idea is beautifully captured in this work. The sculpture’s abstracted forms hint at a reclining human figure. Simultaneously, they evoke the rugged textures of natural rock formations. The Working Model for Reclining Figure (Lincoln Center) isn’t simply a study for a larger work. It is a powerful artwork in its own right. The sculpture was cast in bronze at the renowned Noack Foundry in Berlin, the same foundry that cast the final Lincoln Center piece. Moore meticulously applied the patina himself, adding another layer of his artistic vision to this piece. The original plaster model for the Working Model for Reclining Figure (Lincoln Center) doesn’t exist anymore. However, the legacy of this powerful work lives on. Both in this bronze cast and in the monumental Lincoln Center sculpture it inspired. This sculpture invites us to reflect on Moore’s enduring exploration of the human condition. It connects us to his fascination with the natural world. It reminds us of the power of art to bridge the gap between the human and the natural. The Working Model for Reclining Figure (Lincoln Center) stands as a powerful symbol of Moore’s artistic legacy.