Multiples Appraisal

Henry Moore 'Mother and Child Shell' Etching

This item is an original etching on paper, identified as 'Mother and Child-Shell' by the renowned British sculptor and printmaker Henry Moore (1898-1986). The artwork depicts a reclining female figure, a motif central to Moore's oeuvre, rendered with fluid, sculptural lines that evoke organic forms. The composition features a mother figure in a semi-reclined position with a small child nestled toward her center, both emerging from a texture-heavy background of dense vertical cross-hatching. The print is executed in black ink on off-white or cream-toned archival paper. Notable markings include a pencil signature 'Moore' in the lower right margin and an edition number '46/50' in the lower left, indicating a limited production run from his 1976-1977 Mother and Child suite. The condition appears stable within its matting, though some light toning of the paper is visible alongside minor reflections on the glass. The piece is characteristic of Moore's late-career modernist style, combining monumental human forms with shell-like, protective curves. The craftsmanship is evident in the varying weights of the etched lines, which create a Three-dimensional sense of volume and shadow typical of a master sculptor's approach to two-dimensional media.