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Frame: 28.25 x 23.5 x 1.6 in. with 1/2 in. mouldings / 71.7 x 60 x 4.1 cm
Wood frame with black finish and UV filtering plexi.
One of a series of 18 lithographs drawn by the artist for the Auden Poems/Moore Lithographs 1974 book and portfolio. This work is an artist proof from an edition of 25 printed on vellum aside from the portfolio (edition of 75) and the book.
Printed in inky black, Lullaby: Sleeping Head depicts a shadowy figure looming over a woman, who rests her head on his outsized arm. As with many of the other works in the Auden/Moore book, this print evokes tension from its ambiguous narrative. Here, Moore plays with perspective, bringing the shadow figure’s arm to the front, while his body melts into the darkness of the background. It’s unclear whether the figure is the woman’s protector, or a menacing presence.
The imagery for Lullaby was inspired by Auden’s poem Lullaby. Lullaby was the first poem Moore read for this project, which begins:
“Lay your sleeping head, my love / Human on my faithless arm; / Time and fevers burn away Individual beauty from / Thoughtful children, and the grave / Proves the child ephemeral: / But in my arms till break of day / Let the living creature lie, / Mortal, guilty, but to me / The entirely beautiful.”
Lullaby: Sleeping Head is one of a group of lithographs presented with the work of poet W.H. Auden (1907-1973). Not conceived as illustrations, Moore wanted his landscape and figure works to stand alone, complementing or contrasting with Auden’s poetry. He and Auden were both from Yorkshire.
This lithograph is in the collections of Tate, London; British Museum, London; British Council, London; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas; Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University, St. Louis; Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago; British Council, London; LACMA, Los Angeles; Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas, Austin; Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
Paper: 25.25 x 20.5 in. / 64.1 X 52 cm
Image: 10.75 x 11.5 in. / 27.3 x 29.2 cm
Lithograph on vellum. Edition 25. Signed by the artist lower right in pencil; numbered AP 8/10 lower left in pencil.
