Henry Moore: My Ideas, Inspiration and Life as an Artist

Born in Yorkshire, England, the sculptor Henry Moore was a dominant figure in British art from the 1930s to the present. During World War II, he was unable to sculpt and so instead sketched people in the London underground during bombing raids. His career reached international prominence when he represented Britain at the 1948 Venice Biennale. Because many of his monumental sculptures are displayed out of doors, he has a fame beyond that of most artists, whose work can be seen only in museums. Throughout his long career, Moore produced figural sculptures that seem to have a universal appeal. He was one of the first English artists to be aware of sculpture outside the Western tradition. He was one of the most successful public sculptors, and hundreds of his works can be seen in parks and squares throughout the world. Among the most well known are marble sculptures in Lincoln Center in New York City and UNESCO headquarters in Paris.