Henry Moore’s Art of the London Underground: WW2 Shelter Drawings

One evening in September 1940 1 during the Blitz, Henry Moore found himself corralled amongst the men, women and children seeking shelter in London’s underground stations. As enemy bombs rained down, the huddled figures in the dark confines provided the inspiration for Moore’s emotive series Shelter Drawings (1940-41). Moore felt a strong personal resonance “I have never seen so many reclining figures and even the holes out of which the trains were coming seemed to me like holes in my sculpture.” Moore began to work as an official war artist, capturing the plight of these vulnerable nocturnal dwellers in a series of wraithlike sketches. His recumbent, anonymous figures, as depicted in Tube Shelter Perspective (1941), became a symbol of the universality of war; the civilian casualties of lives entangled in conflict. Recognising the relevance of Moore’s work, the War Artists’ Advisory Committee commissioned large-scale drawings for display around the country. Signifying British stoicism in the face of unrelenting hardship, Moore’s art was deployed to bolster optimism amongst the populace. His reputation flourished as a result. The war left its mark on Moore: The war brought out and encouraged the humanist side in one’s work. 2 Moore’s evenings spent underground had laid the foundations for a distinguished career ahead.

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