Golden Age Greek Criticism Of Henry Moore's Reclining Woman

Golden Age Greek Criticism of Henry Moore’s Reclining Woman

Both the shape and body of the Reclining Woman sculpture totally tear down our standards as Golden Age Greeks. Not at all can I make out whom this sculptor is representing. Sure I can make out the basic female figure. However the head is way too small in proportion the rest of the body. Maybe Henry Moore has not yet finished this piece. Did he make a mistake in the development of the chest area? This could be the case. If still this is a finish piece of “art” in no terms by us Greeks' is this considered Art.

What I would have done if I were to complete this hiatus mangled human form is to continue to define the legs and arms especially. Still keeping the reclining look even though this promotes the idea of laziness in our eyes. After all, Greek art has to be the ideal of all, the perfect balance of mind and body -- picked up from Plato and his teachings. This shows neither. A great example is the discus thrower how the figure shows no physical stress or emotion through the face even though he is performing a strenuous activity. With this in mind further defining of the face, needed so the figure is anatomically correct and shows no stress through facial expression.

On the one hand the simplification and distortion of body and limb seem extremely daring departures from the tradition which few do; on the other hand, this is reminiscent of the earliest sculpture ever produced, which is far from a perfect balance. Thus he has created a new form; that of pure