Henry Moore

Visual Arts British 1898 – 1986 100 quotes

A British artist best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art.

Quotes by Henry Moore

A work of art is not a thing that is finished, but a thing that is begun.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

The observation of nature is part of an artist's life, it enlarges his form-knowledge, keeps him fresh and from working only by formula, and feeds inspiration.

The Sculptor Speaks 1934

There is no such thing as a perfect sculpture. There is only the attempt to make one.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

Sculpture is an art of the open air. Daylight, sunlight, is necessary to it, and for me its best setting is the open landscape.

Henry Moore on Sculpture 1951

The creative impulse is a mysterious thing, it comes and goes, and you can't force it.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

Truth to material means that the artist ought to understand his material, its possibilities and limitations, and use it in a way that is natural to it.

The Sculptor Speaks 1934

The whole of my development as a sculptor is an attempt to understand and express the relationship of the human figure to the landscape.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

To be a sculptor, you have to be able to think in three dimensions.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

The human figure is the most interesting thing to me. It's the most universal thing.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

My aim in my work is to get a vitality into the sculpture, to make it seem like a living thing.

The Sculptor Speaks 1934

The artist's job is to deepen the mystery.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

I think that the greatest thing a sculptor can do is to make a work that has a life of its own, that is not just a representation of something else.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

The most important thing for a sculptor is to have a strong sense of form.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

Drawing is a way of coming to terms with what you're looking at.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

The sculptor's eye is always looking for forms in nature.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

I believe that art should be available to everyone, not just a select few.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

The artist's job is to make people see things in a new way.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

My work is an attempt to get at the underlying structure of things.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960

The sculptor must have a feeling for the material, a respect for it.

The Sculptor Speaks 1934

The great thing about sculpture is that it's a physical thing, it's there in space.

Interviews with Henry Moore 1960