Henry Moore’s ‘Rocking Chair No. 3’ (1950)

Rendered in lustrous bronze, ‘Rocking Chair No. 3’ captures the tenderness and joy of a mother happily raising her child in the air.

In the present work, a mother is seated on two chair legs - she is both figure and chair combined into one. Moore reflects upon a mother’s care and devotion for her child. The aperture in her back resembles both the frame of the chair but also a large heart sculpted in an open, see-through form.

Henry Moore (1898 - 1986), ‘Rocking Chair No. 3’ (1950). Estimate: £700,000-£1,000,000.

🗓️Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale: 16 October | London

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[soniaalvarado]

I love this! There’s such joy and happiness in this piece. I can feel the pride of this parent in their child. Yes, it’s in my head but that’s how I feel. ❤

[louisanow]

The mother figure has a rabbit head and ears but no human neck, and a hollow torso/ empty vessel, while the child appears a normal human. A reference to the rabbits used for pregnancy tests back then, or maybe the breeding like rabbits, or the stereotypical reference of traditional views of women?