Quote of Moore, as cited by Unesco, International Conference of artists, Venice 1952; typescript, in HMF Library
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Too often in a modern building the work of art is an afterthought – a piece of decoration added to fill a space that is felt to be too empty. Ideally the work of art should be a focus round which the harmony of the whole building revolves – inseparable from the design, structurally coherent and aesthetically essential.. .He [the sculptor] will want to consider both external proportions and internal space volumes in relation to the size and style of sculpture that might be required – not merely the decorative function of sculpture.. .I am thinking of the didactic and symbolic functions of sculpture in Gothic architecture, inseparable from the architectural conception itself…

— Henry Moore

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Too often in a modern building the work of art is an afterthought – a piece of decoration added to fill a space that is felt to be too empty. Ideally the work of art should be a focus round which the harmony of the whole building revolves – inseparable from the design, structurally coherent and aesthetically essential.. .He [the sculptor] will want to consider both external proportions and internal space volumes in relation to the size and style of sculpture that might be required – not merely the decorative function of sculpture.. .I am thinking of the didactic and symbolic functions of sculpture in Gothic architecture, inseparable from the architectural conception itself…" in the context of "Quote of Moore, as cited by Unesco, International Conference of artists, Venice 1952; typescript, in HMF Library" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Henry Moore" (Quotes of Henry Moore: chronologically ordered, after date of the quotes of Henry Moore, 1940 - 1955) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Henry Moore

About Henry Moore

Henry Moore OM CH FBA (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986) was an English artist and sculptor, best known for his monumental bronzes, which combined abstract art and Surrealism, as Moore frequently declared himself. He is famous for his many large sculptures, located worldwide as public works of art.