Featured Gift

Through a generous gift from the collection of Arthur and Sara Jo Kobacker, the Boca Raton Museum of Art is the recipient of a magnificent bronze sculpture by the acclaimed British artist, Henry Moore. The piece, Working Model for Reclining Figure: Prop, represents a historically important and visually compelling addition to the Museum's collection of Modern sculpture.

HENRY MOORE (United Kingdom, born in Yorkshire 1889-1986) Working Model for Reclining figure: Prop, 1976, Bronze, edition 7/9 Fiorini Foundry, height 15.6 x width 31.6 x depth 15.5 inches, Permanent collection 2011.10, Gift from the collection of Arthur and Sara Jo Kobacker

Henry Moore is widely considered one of the foremost sculptors of the 20th Century. Moore gained renown for his skillfully abstracted works, comprised of undulating forms, particularly those of the reclining human figure, a motif heavily influenced by a viewing of Toltec-Mayan sculptures of Chichen Itza. The Museum’s piece, Working Model for Reclining Figure: Prop was made late in Moore’s career, when he was 78. By this time, he had perfected his style, which crystalized around certain characteristic features evident in Working Model, including its upright neck and head supported on powerful shoulders, the semi abstracted shapes and open spaces, its draped and elevated knees, and its turned head and distant gaze. Made of cast bronze, the sculpture reveals the diverse modes of expression afforded by its material; dense features with striated surfaces transition into passages of supple, delicate forms. These juxtaposing elements invite an extended, active viewing.