Roland, Browse and Delbanco, London
The National Life Story Collection, London (sold: Sotheby's, London, 1st December 1987, lot 64)
Purchased at the above sale by the family of the present owner

Alan Bowness (ed.), Henry Moore, Sculpture and Drawings, 1955-1964, London, 1965, vol. 3, no. 427, illustration of another cast p. 34
Ionel Jianou, Henry Moore, Paris, 1968, no. 399, edition catalogued p. 81
Robert Melville, Henry Moore, Sculpture and Drawings 1921-1969, London, 1970, figs. 516 & 517, illustrations of another cast
David Mitchinson (ed.), Celebrating Moore, London, 1998, illustration in colour of the plaster p. 253

Rich and varied green patina. Apart from some minor areas of oxidisation, mainly on the back of the steps and of the figure, this work is in very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present bronze belongs to a series of seated figures that Moore created whilst thinking about a suitable sculpture he was commissioned to make for the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Moore was at odds with the practice of completing a sculpture for an existing building as a simple enhancement 🔥to the architecture, and thought of his sculpted figures as independent works of art that needed to be seen at all angles and not as an adornment positioned against a surface. Creating an architectural element ꦿfor the sculpture itself – the stairs, in the case of the present work – was his solution to this problem. The steps not only place the figure in a predetermined setting, they also create an independent and private space in which the seated figure exists. While the image of a woman seated on steps was not chosen for the final UNESCO work, it was developed into several sculptures in their own right, including the present work.

 

Discussing Working Model for Draped Seated Woman: Figure on Steps, Julie Summers wrote: 'This particular work is significant in that it bridges the gap between the draped figures of two or three years earlier, which had resulted directly from Moore's first visit to Greece in 1951, and the later figures set against architectural backgrounds. The use of steps gave him the possibility to explore placing a figure on an architectural feature without wholly obscuring the background. In the final monumental version of this sculpture [fig. 1] the steps have been quite dramatically reduced to give the figure prominence' (J. Summers in D. Mitchinson (ed.), op. cit., pp. 253-254). In the present version however, it is the combination of the rhythmic lineꦦs of the woman's dress and the cascading ♊pattern of the steps that makes this a wonderfully dynamic work.

 

Other casts of this work are in public colleꦿctions including the Aberdeen Art Gallery and Mil🍃waukee Art Center.

Fig. 1, Henry Moore, Draped Seated Woman, 1957-58, bronze, Hebrew University, Jerusalem