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About Moore's Work
Henry Moore intended that his monumental works be presented in expansive landscapes where their mass and size could be seen from many angles, in a great variety of light, and in differing seasons. He wanted people to get up close and touch them. The New York Botanical Garden, with its sweeping, undulating terrain, diverse plant collections, and captivating gardens, offers the perfect setting to complement Moore’s sculpture.
Moore used a process called “lost wax” to create these massive works. The artist would often first produce a model, known as a maquette, which he could use to study the form and grasp its shape from all around. Using the maquette, he would then create a larger replica in clay, plaster, or another impermanent material. Moore would make a rubber mold of the sculpture to replicate the form in wax, and then pour molten bronze into the mold, which would melt away the wax and leave the final, solid bronze sculpture.
Several of the maquettes that Moore developed before creating his full-size sculpture, along with some of the tools and found objects from his studio at Perry Green near London, are on view in the Orchid Rotunda of the Library building. These offer visitors a glimpse into the artist’s creative process.
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