The mother and child theme was one which was extremely important to Henry Moore in his sculptures and this sculpture Mother and Child of 1931 is yet another celebration of it. The subject is linked traditional theme of religious sculptures of the Madonna and child, which Henry Moore viewed on his travels to Italy. However Moore in this sculpture creates the message of maternity on a more universal level and gaining accessibility from those without the Christian faith. Moore as did other artists and sculptors of to the post-world war one era wished to reject complexity in there art which was commonly associated with fine art and reverted back to simple forms and primary emotions take from primitive and tribal art. This was known as evolutionary technique known as Primitivism relying on influences from tribal backgrounds and their art to encapsulate raw feeling and emotions. Artists and sculptures alike wished to focus their attention on things of vital importance to human life with or without the complexities of new technology and conflict which some associated with the modern day world.

With the Henry Moore mother and child I have chosen

It is clear from evaluating the mother and child theme in these particular sculptures that the motive of each sculptor was not consistent in the 20th century and neither was it in the way in which the female form was depicted and seen as. In the first sculpture religion seems to be the main reason, displaying the main icons of the Christian faith in a simplistic pure way. The simplicity does not allow for definite female features to shown. For Barbara Hepworth and like wise Henry Moore their mother and child images were to show the most basic of all human instincts an internationally recognisable display of maternal emotion and affection. Likewise the less provocative the female form in its sexuality the clearer this would be so again the form had to be simplified to the most organic shapes. In the case of the last sculpture however it is in fact rejecting maternal instinct; in my view showing the separation of the mother and child through modern consumerism, aestheticism and female vanity and sexuality. The mother including all female features yet distorted.

-"I do not like absolute perfection. I believe one should make a struggle towards something one cannot do, rather than do the thing that comes easily..." Henry Moore

Unlike other sculptures depicting the female form the feminine features such as breasts are not made a particular feature of, the female form is nude in both these works however this is not a sexual necessity it however increases the pure raw nature which is being presented the. Extra textural detail has been put on the hair of the woman it is not an element of attraction, it is receded and not very feminine however beauty is not the motive of the sculpture nor is it one which Moore takes into consideration; it is not the aesthetic beauty of mother and child that is being celebrated it is however the beauty between the bond between the two individuals.

Hepwoth’s interpretation of the mother and child is similarly displayed to Moore’s, both the mother and child are looking at different angles, this creates a feeling of movement and a natural stance rather than a pose. The mother however in this sculpture kneels down to the child who is leaning on the mother. This shows dependency like the other sculptures however the child is gaining independence from the mother by standing, the child holds mother however as does the mother hold the child alike on both these sculptures. The fact that the two individuals look away in different directions shows the difference they have perhaps in mind and spirit yet united as one structure. There are great similarities to how the material is used between these two “mother and child” entitled pieces, the stone shows the influence of Brancusi’s term “truth to the material”, the stone has not been worked with to look like soft flesh, and because of this strength and sheer force is added.

In all sculptures it can be seen that primitivism was an important intervention which influenced many different aspects in sculpture but also in any different ways. It is consistant that all the sculptures present the human form in a non idealistic way. Primativism and be seen in the non representational work as well as the representational. Simp

Some topics in this essay:
Henry Moore, Heyworth’s Moore’s, West Riding, Italy Moore, Museum Picasso, Mary Jesus, mother child, Barbara Hepworth, Mother Child, henry moore, Moore Hepwoth’s, CENTUARY SCULPTURE, female form, mother child theme, child theme, seen sculpture, moore’s sculpture, human form, vanity sexuality, christian faith, negative space, sculpture mother child, moore’s mother child, sculptures madonna child, sculpture henry moore,