Henry Moore (1898–1986) - Untitled Modernist Collotype From the Shelter Drawings Series (1967, Framed)

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Henry Moore (1898–1986)

Untitled Collotype from the Shelter Drawings Series (1967)
Collotype on paper, Edition 30 of 180
Printed by … Read more Henry Moore (1898–1986)

Untitled Collotype from the Shelter Drawings Series (1967)
Collotype on paper, Edition 30 of 180
Printed by Gaymed Press, Berlin
Framed under glass in a contemporary whitewashed composite frame with archival matting
Dimensions: 20.9” H × 16.9” W × 1.5” D
Condition: Excellent

This collotype reproduces one of Henry Moore’s evocative Shelter Drawings, a landmark series produced during World War II. Created while Moore served as an official War Artist, the series documents civilians seeking refuge in the tunnels of the London Underground during the Blitz. These haunting, compassionate works blend figuration with abstraction, often rendering reclining figures in darkened, sculptural forms that reflect both vulnerability and quiet resilience.

Moore was initially inspired after witnessing sleeping Londoners in the Tube stations during air raids in 1940. The cramped yet communal settings, combined with dim lighting and a pervasive sense of anxiety, profoundly influenced his style—moving him further toward monumental, organic forms that would define his later sculpture.

Commissioned by the War Artists’ Advisory Committee in 1941, Moore's Shelter Drawings not only captured the somber realities of wartime Britain but also established him as a significant voice in modern British art. The series garnered widespread attention and marked a pivotal moment in his career, bridging the intimate immediacy of drawing with the monumental ethos of his sculpture.

This collotype, number 30 from a limited edition of 180, was printed in Berlin by Gaymed Press and offers a facsimile reproduction of Moore’s original drawing. See less