Head 1974 etching and drypoint (CGM 228) Reproduced by permission of the Henry Moore Foundation
An exhibition of Henry Moore’s much-loved sheep etchings is coming to Hertford Museum next year. The Sheep will be the first temporary exhibition the Museum will host when the doors re-open in March 2010 after major refurbishment.
Etchings, sculpture and other related items are being kindly loaned by the Henry Moore Foundation based at the artist’s former home in Perry Green, Much Hadham.
Henry Moore’s representation of sheep are among the most popular of his works. He sketched the animals as they grazed in the fields surrounding his Hertfordshire studios. His monumental bronze sculpture ‘Sheep Piece’ (LH 627) crafted in the early 1970s, was inspired by the sheep around him.
Henry Moore with Sheep Piece at Perry Green in 1977. Reproduced with permission of the Henry Moore Foundation
Moore studied his subjects well, writing in 1980: ‘I began to realise that underneath all that wool was a body, which moved in its own way and that each sheep had its individual character.’
We at Hertford Museum are very excited at having this temporary exhibition as our opening debut. As well as the sheep etchings, this exhibition will include a selection of related sculpture and found objects.
To find out more about the Henry Moore Foundation please visit www.henry-moore.org