A bronze reclining figure by sculptor and artist Henry Moore

To further add to its collection of material related to its historic properties, Historic New England is acquiring a bronze reclining figure by sculptor and artist Henry Moore (1898-1986) that was a gift from Moore to Walter and Ise Gropius and, during their lifetime, was displayed on a shelf in the living room of Gropius House in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Moore, one of the most celebrated sculptors of his time, visited the Gropiuses at their home in 1946, signed the guest book, and presented them with the small sculpture, one of seven cast in 1945. The reclining figure was a frequent motif in Moore’s work and the one he gave to the Gropiuses is among a number of designs apparently inspired by his sketches of crowded fallout shelters in the London underground during the war. Another of Moore’s artworks in the house includes one of the 1941 sketches from the underground shelter series. It is in the master bedroom.

Moore visited the Gropiuses at their home in 1946

The Moore sculpture joins other works of art given to the Gropiuses by artist friends that are on display throughout the house. Built in 1938 by Walter Gropius, founder of the German design school known as the Bauhaus, the Gropius House, a National Historic Landmark, is open for tours year round.

Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional heritage organization in the nation. We bring history to life while preserving the past for everyone interested in exploring the authentic New England experience from the seventeenth century to today. The organization shares the region’s history through vast collections, publications, public programs, museum properties, archives, and family stories that document more than four hundred years of life in New England.