Here are some facts about Henry Moore, the English sculptor and artist.
- Henry Moore was born on 30th July 1898 in Castleford in Yorkshire.
- His best known work features massive bronze scultpures. These are usually abstract versions of the human form and often contain hollow spaces. His sculptures are often public artworks and are located all over the world.
- Henry Moore decided he wanted to become a sculptor at the age of eleven.
- Moore fought in World War 1 and he was badly injured during a gas attack in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917.
- He studied at Leeds College of Art. He met Barbara Hepworth there – she would also become a famous sculptor.
- He attended the Royal College of Art in London, and in 1924 he spent time abroad (in Italy and France) studying the works of Michelangelo.
- During World War 2, Henry Moore was commissioned as a war artist. He produced a series of drawing of Londoners using the London Underground as an air raid shelter during the Blitz.
- Moore worked on commission, and he earned lots of money producing sculptures for individuals, companies and organisations. His work can be seen opposite the House of Lords in London, in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, in Kew Gardens, London, to name just a few.
- He set up the Henry Moore Foundation, a charity with the aim of promoting fine art.
- Henry Moore died on 31st August 1986. He was 88.
