Mouton Rothschild 1964

The son of a Yorkshire miner, the sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1984) studied at the Royal College of Art, and from the early Thirties exhibited regularly with the Surrealists, acknowledging the influence of both Brancusi and pre-Columbian Art.
From these two sources he developed a new way of representing the human form that recalls the great primitive notions like kingship and fertility. He brings his massive figures to life by hollowing out gaping holes, excavating depths of emptiness in the solid mass.
His work now puts him in the first rank of contemporary sculptors. His design for the 1964 Mouton Rothschild label, three golden chalices cradled in cupped hands, evokes the solemn mood of some ancient ritual.