Henry Moore (1898–1986) was a British sculptor and draughtsman whose work played a central role in the development of modern sculpture. Best known for his monumental reclining figures and abstracted representations of the human body, Moore developed a sculptural language rooted in the close observation of natural forms. Pebbles, stones, bones, shells and trees were recurring sources of inspiration, valued for the rhythms, hollows and structures produced by natural processes. Drawing remained equally important throughout his career, functioning both as a means of studying the world around him and as an independent part of his artistic practice.
Executed circa 1981, Self Portrait of the Artist’s Hands belongs to Moore’s late drawings, in which the relationship between the artist’s body, touch and natural form becomes particularly intimate. Rather than constructing a conventional self-portrait through his face, Moore represents himself through his hands: the instruments through which he drew, carved and modelled throughout his career. The pebble held between them connects the work directly to his lifelong study and collection of natural objects, which he regarded as sources for understanding sculptural form. Moore repeatedly examined pebbles for their compact shapes, worn surfaces and internal sense of weight, translating these qualities into works on both intimate and monumental scales. The work therefore operates simultaneously as a self-portrait and a meditation on the process of making, bringing together the hand of the sculptor and the natural object from which sculptural ideas could emerge.