Artwork
Standing Female Figure
Standing Female Figure is a drawing by Henry Spencer Moore. It dates from 1930 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The 1930 drawing by Henry Moore captures his wife Irina standing within his Hampstead studio.
About this work
Check out more of Moore’s drawings next at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
This is a drawing from 1930 by Henry Spencer Moore. It shows his wife, Irina, standing in his London studio. Around her are some of his early sculptures.
A small statue below the mask was hit by a bomb in World War II. The mask on the right also shows his early interest in ancient art. Moore often worked in that studio in Hampstead.
Check out more of Moore’s drawings next at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
The 1930 drawing by Henry Moore captures his wife Irina standing within his Hampstead studio. The composition frames her amid a selection of the sculptor’s early three‑dimensional works, offering a glimpse of the working environment that shaped his developing style.
Subject & Meaning
Irina, Moore’s partner, serves as the central figure, positioned between two distinct sculptures. Her presence anchors the scene, while the surrounding pieces hint at the artist’s fascination with form and cultural references, suggesting a personal and creative dialogue within the studio space.
Technique & Style
Rendered in a single‑plane drawing, Moore employs precise line work to delineate both the human figure and the sculptural objects. The treatment balances delicate portraiture with the more robust, simplified contours of the sculptures, reflecting his early exploration of volume and abstraction.
History & Provenance
Created during a prolific period in Moore’s career, the drawing documents a studio that housed works later altered or lost. One sculpture on the left was subsequently destroyed by the artist, while a small statuette beneath the mask on the right was damaged by a World War II bomb.
Context
The mask sculpture on the right illustrates Moore’s early interest in ‘primitive’ aesthetics, particularly pre‑Columbian art, a motif that would recur throughout his oeuvre. The studio setting in Hampstead was a focal point for his artistic production during the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Henry Spencer Moore filled sketchbooks with long, flowing lines and blocky volumes to plan his sculptures.
