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Private Collection
Phillips London, Evening & Day Editions Sale, 11 June 2015, lot 18
Private Collection, California
J. Hedgecoe, A Monumental Vision, The Sculpture of Henry Moore, London, 1998, p. 226, no. 457 (another cast illustrated in color, p. 227)
HENRY MOORE (1898-1986)
Emperor's Heads19616 3/4 x 8 1/4 x 4 1/2 in.(17.15 x 20.96 x 11.43 cm) bronze with brown patina
Provenance
Christie's New York, Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale, 6 November 2008, lot 323Private Collection
Phillips London, Evening & Day Editions Sale, 11 June 2015, lot 18
Private Collection, California
Literature
A. Bowness, ed., Henry Moore, Sculpture and Drawings 1955-64, London, 1986, vol. 3, p. 53, no. 493a (another cast illustrated)J. Hedgecoe, A Monumental Vision, The Sculpture of Henry Moore, London, 1998, p. 226, no. 457 (another cast illustrated in color, p. 227)
50,000
“A sculptor is a person who is interested in the shape of things, a poet in words, a musician by sounds.” – Henry Moore
MARKET INSIGHTS
Henry Moore’s market for top sculptural works has seen significant activity since 2016 when Reclining Figure: Festival (1951) set the world record price for a work at auction, selling for $32,766,700.
Although Henry Moore was a prolific artist in a variety of media, his sculptures are the most desirable and will likely continue to see a rise in value as the supply of important bronzes continues to decrease.
The graph by Art Market Research shows that since 1976, Henry Moore sculptures have increased at a 4.9% annual rate of return.
Top Moore Sculptures at Auction
“Reclining Figure: Festival” (1951), bronze with a brown patina, length 90 in. Sold at Christie’s London: 30 June 2016 for $32,766,700 USD
“Reclining Figure: Festival” (1951), bronze with a brown patina, length 96 1/4 in. Sold at Christie’s London: 07 February 2012 for $30,316,600 USD
“Reclining Figure” (1982), bronze with a dark brown patina, 97 x 47 in. Sold at Christie’s New York: 13 November 2017 for $11,000,000 USD
Other Notable Auction Records
“Mother and Child with Apple” (1956), bronze with a brown and green patina, 28 ½ x 19 ¾ x 17 3/4 in. Sold at Christie’s London: 04 February 2014 for $8,168,500 USD
“Working Model for Three Piece No. 3: Vertebrae” (1968), bronze with a brown patina, length 92 ¾ in. Sold at Christie’s London: 07 February 2012 for $8,073,500 USD
“Two Piece Reclining Figure: Points” (1969-1970), bronze with a dark brown patina, 92 x 144 x 72 in. Sold at Christie’s New York: 12 November 2015 for $7,669,000 USD
“Family Group” (1946), bronze with a green patina, height 17 ½ in. Sold at Christie’s London: 26 June 2017 for $4,915,000 USD
Sculptures in Museum Collections
“Reclining Figure: Circle” (1983), Bronze, cast number 1/9, 17 × 35 in. Los Angeles County Museum of Art
“Girl Seated Against a Square Wall” (1957-1958), Bronze, 42 x 33-5/8 x 28-1/8 in. The Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena
“Family Group” (1944), Bronze, 5 7/8 × 5 × 2 3/4 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
“Family Group” (1945), bronze, 7 × 4 × 2 1/2 in. The Tate, London
“I have always paid great attention to natural forms, such as bones, shells, and pebbles… Pebbles show Nature’s way of working stone.” – Henry Moore
