Henry Moore - Collections

Collections

The world's largest collection of Moore's work is open to the public and is housed in the house and grounds of the 40-acre estate, that was Moore's home for forty years, in Perry Green, Hertfordshire, England. The site and the collection are now owned by the Henry Moore Foundation. The Henry Moore Sculpture Centre in the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, opened in 1974. It comprises the world's largest public collection of Moore's work, most of it donated by him between 1971 and 1974. Moore presented 36 sculptures, as well as drawings, maquettes and other works to the Tate Gallery in 1978.

In December 2005, thieves entered a courtyard at the Henry Moore Foundation and stole a cast of Reclining Figure 1969-70 (LH 608), a bronze sculpture. Closed-circuit-television footage showed that they used a crane to lower the piece onto a stolen flatbed truck. The 1969–70 work, known as is 3.6 metres long, 2 metres high by 2 metres wide, and weighs 2.1 tonnes. A substantial reward was offered by the Foundation for information leading to its recovery. By May 2009, after a thorough investigation, British officials said they believe the work, once valued at £3 million (US$5.3 million), was probably sold for scrap metal, fetching about £5,000. In July 2012 the 22 inches (56 cm) bronze Sundial 1965, valued at £500,000, was stolen from the Moore Foundation. Again, it is not known whether the piece, formed of two interlocking bronze crescents, would be sold on as a work of art or for its scrap value.

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Famous quotes containing the word collections:

    Most of those who make collections of verse or epigram are like men eating cherries or oysters: they choose out the best at first, and end by eating all.
    —Sébastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort (1741–1794)