The measure
For Henry Moore, nature is the measure for the effect of his sculptures. Every piece that he was working on in his studio, whether large or small, he would bring outside to see how it behaved in the space and how it related to the trees. Accordingly, Moore preferred to see his work exhibited in the open air.
Derived from nature
With their curves and bulges, these monumental bronzes appear to derive from nature, like the fossilized remains of organic forms and structures. When the works arrived in Otterlo, Moore himself determined their position on the edge of a sand drift outside the museum grounds. He also designed the pedestal, which raises the three sculptures high above their surroundings.
Various themes
Besides the aspect of the relationship of his sculptures to nature, various themes of Moore come together in this work: his interest in archaic, non-European art, his research into the possible mutual relationships of freestanding forms, and his study of the human body and of the structure of bones and vertebrae.
