Henry Moore

Henry Moore (1898-1986) : A British sculptor, probably one of the best in expressing himself abstractly in sculpture (along with David Smith and Pablo Picasso). Early on, he copied pre-Columbian art, along with Michelangelo and his contemporary Brancusi. He later created his own style, featuring rounded abstract shapes with holes in them, recalling usually a reclining human figure or a mother-child group.

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) holds the world's largest collection of Henry Moore sculpture. Much of it was donated by the artist himself. Outside the AGO, Moore's massive sculpture Two Large Forms stands on the northeast corner of the property, near the main entrance, where it greets Gallery visitors. Children often like to crawl through the holes in the huge, rounded sculpture.

The largest group of donations was made contingent on the AGO's construction of a special gallery. Roofed in glass, the Henry Moore Sculpture Centre allows the sculptures to be seen illuminated in the way that the artist intended.