Bird
1959
A powerful yet delicate bronze sculpture by Henry Moore, "Bird" captures the artist's characteristic ability to distill organic form into its essential essence. The smooth, abstracted mass suggests avian life through subtle curves and hollows rather than literal representation, inviting the viewer to find the creature within the simplified shape. The rich green patina enhances the work's natural quality, while the travertine base grounds the piece with an earthy, timeless presence.
- Medium
- bronze with green patina, on travertine base
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale
March 9, 2018
Artists in conversation
Constantin Brancusi
Romanian · b. 1876
Brancusi similarly distilled organic and avian forms into their purest abstract essence, most notably in his Bird in Space series, using polished bronze to evoke flight and life through simplified sculptural mass rather than literal representation.
Barbara Hepworth
British · b. 1903
Hepworth shared Moore's modernist approach to abstract bronze sculpture, using smooth organic curves and carefully considered hollows to suggest natural forms, and frequently worked with patinated bronze on stone bases to achieve the same earthy, contemplative presence.
Isamu Noguchi
American · b. 1904
Noguchi created abstract sculptures that similarly distilled organic and natural subjects into essential simplified forms, often pairing sculptural masses with stone bases to create a serene and timeless dialogue between the crafted object and natural materials.
Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion