This small maquette represents a period in the late 1930s when Henry Moore was experimenting with surrealism. Although never officially a member of the surrealist group, Moore found an affinity with the movement’s aim to liberate the subconscious from rational thought. He consistently exhibited in a surrealist context in the late 1930s and sustained a relationship with many artists associated with the movement. The title of this piece blurs the boundaries between the body and the psyche, reflecting surrealism’s attempt to render the subconscious material. At this time, Moore also began to study oceanic sculpture and natural objects such as bones, pebbles, and branches, incorporating these forms into his figural pieces, as in Interior Figure. A decade later, Moore developed these concerns further in his large work Interior/Exterior Figure (1951).\n\n Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2020