You may also be interested in

2^AR — Euan Uglow (British, 1932-2000) Camellia Bud 34.5 x 28.8 cm. (13 1/2 x 11 3/8 in.) (Painted in 1979)

3^* — Harold Gilman (British, 1876-1919) Interior 45.5 x 35.7 cm. (17 7/8 x 14 1/8 in.) (Painted circa 1916)

4 — Walter Richard Sickert A.R.A. (British, 1860-1942) Nude Lying Across a Bed 37.6 x 45.7 cm. (14 3/4 x 18 in.) (Painted circa 1904-5)

5^*,AR — Sir Jacob Epstein (British, 1880-1959) Maquette for Madonna and Child 35.5 cm. (14 in.) high (Conceived in 1950)

6^AR — Ivor Roberts-Jones (British, 1916-1996) Sir Winston Churchill, maquette for the monument in Parliament Square 51.4 cm. (20 1/4 in.) high (Conceived circa 1970)

£30,000 - £50,000

7^*,AR — Sir Winston Spencer Churchill O.M., HON. R.A. (British, 1874-1965) The Lake at Blenheim 50.8 x 61 cm. (20 x 24 in.) (Painted circa 1926-29)

£400,000 - £600,000

8^*,AR — Sir Winston Spencer Churchill O.M., HON. R.A. (British, 1874-1965) Le Béguinage, Bruges 63.8 x 76.8 cm. (25 1/8 x 30 1/4 in.) (Painted in 1946)

£300,000 - £500,000

10^AR — David Jones C.H. C.B.E. (British, 1895-1974) Landscape with cows 62.2 x 50 cm. (24 1/2 x 19 3/4 in.)

11^AR — Eliot Hodgkin (British, 1905-1987) Parsnips and turnips 14.5 x 48 cm. (5 3/4 x 18 7/8 in.)

12^*,AR — David Bomberg (British, 1890-1957) Jericho 51.8 x 68 cm. (20 3/8 x 26 3/4 in.)

13^AR — David Bomberg (British, 1890-1957) Talgwyn Farm, Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey 31.7 x 40.2 cm. (12 1/2 x 15 3/4 in.) (Painted in 1944)

14 — Harold Gilman (British, 1876-1919) Baby in a Cradle 33 x 55.5 cm. (13 x 21 7/8 in.)

Property from the Collection of Holly Johnson

15^AR — Sir Stanley Spencer R.A. (British, 1891-1959) Baby in a Highchair 50.6 x 76 cm. (19 7/8 x 29 7/8 in.) (Painted in 1943)

£60,000 - £80,000

23^AR — Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A. (1887-1976) Portrait of a Man 49 x 34 cm. (19 3/8 x 13 3/8 in.)

24^AR — Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A. (British, 1887-1976) Standing Man 34.3 x 24.7 cm. (13 1/2 x 9 3/4 in.)

Property from The University of Cumbria

25^AR — Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A. (British, 1887-1976) Figures in a Street 25.2 x 35.2 cm. (10 x 13 7/8 in.)

£25,000 - £35,000

Dame Barbara Hepworth(British, 1903-1975)Winged Figure I 162.5 cm. (64 in.) high (including the base) Conceived in 1957 and fabricated in 1963, this work is number 2 from the edition of 3

28^AR,TP — Dame Barbara Hepworth (British, 1903-1975) Winged Figure I 162.5 cm. (64 in.) high (including the base) Conceived in 1957 and fabricated in 1963, this work is number 2 from the edition of 3

£800,000 - £1,200,000

29^AR — Sheila Fell R.A. (British, 1931-1979) Woman and Cows on a Country Road 70.8 x 91.5 cm. (27 7/8 x 36 in.) (Painted in 1967)

30^AR — Sheila Fell R.A. (British, 1931-1979) Autumn, Cumbria 101.6 x 126.5 cm. (40 x 49 3/4 in.) (Painted circa 1975-79)

31^AR — Sir Kyffin Williams R.A. (British, 1918-2006) Anglesey Coast, Evening 60.8 x 60.8 cm. (24 x 24 in.)

32^AR — Sir Kyffin Williams R.A. (British, 1918-2006) Penllithrig y Wrach 60.8 x 91.2 cm. (23 7/8 x 35 7/8 in.)

Modern British and Irish Art

Previous Lot

Next Lot

Lot 65^AR

Henry Moore O.M., C.H.
(British, 1898-1986)
Three Female Figures 29 x 23.5 cm. (11 3/8 x 9 1/4 in.)

Amended

29 May 2013, 14:00 BST

London, New Bond Street

Sold for £157,250 inc. premium

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

How to sell

Looking for a similar item?

Our Modern British & Irish Art specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.

Find your local specialist

Ask about this lot

Penny Day

Head of UK and Ireland

Tel: +44 20 7468 8366

Penny.Day@bonhams.com

Christopher Dawson

Head of Department

Tel: +44 20 7468 8296

Christopher.Dawson@bonhams.com

Ingram Reid

Director

Tel: +44 20 7468 8297

Ingram.Reid@bonhams.com

Henry Moore O.M., C.H. (British, 1898-1986)

Three Female Figures
signed and dated 'Moore 49' (lower right) and inscribed 'Lithograph' (upper centre)
pencil, crayon, ink and gouache
29 x 23.5 cm. (11 3/8 x 9 1/4 in.)

Footnotes

PROVENANCE:
With The Leicester Galleries, London, where purchased by
Sir Eric Maclagan, May 1951
Thence by family descent

EXHIBITED:
London, The Leicester Galleries, New Bronzes and Drawings by Henry Moore , 1951, cat.no.41

With the ending of the Second World War and his highly successful contributions to The War Artists Advisory Committee (WAAC), Henry Moore continued his passion for draughtsmanship, focusing much of his attention on the theme of the Family Group and groups of figures. Highly worked with a variety of media, Three Female Figures (1949) bears all the attributes of Moore's accomplished style that had been honed during the early 1940s and specifically through the Shelter Drawings. As with several of the Family Group works on paper, the present example is carried out in what Moore referred to as 'sectional line drawing', which divides the surface of the body into panels that accentuate sculptural three dimensionality and give an overall feeling of solidity. The background of the present work is executed in even strokes of crayon with the overall result meaning there can be no determination of scale or size of the figures. This lack of detail is reminiscent of the hugely influential Picasso and his figures and families of around 1920.

It would appear from the original Leicester Galleries label on the backboard that this previously unrecorded work was exhibited in 1951 with the simple title of 'Drawing'. However, the 'Lithograph' inscription to the upper centre of the sheet indicates that it was worked into a print titled Three Female Figures (Cramer 16) for which only one trial proof is listed as having been printed by W S Cowell Ltd of Ipswich. Three Female Figures is presented with excellent provenance having been in the collection of Sir Eric Maclagan K.C.V.O. He was appointed Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum on the retirement of Sir Cecil Harcourt Smith in 1924 and greatly improved its reputation as a centre for research and learning during his 21 year tenure. A dedicated collector, Maclagan formed an important collection of Modern British Art and unveiled Graham Sutherland's now famous Crucifixion at the Church of St Matthew's, Northampton.

Bonhams achieved the world auction record for a work on paper by Henry Moore with Shelter Drawing: Seated Mother and Child (1941) fetching £634,850 on 16 November 2011.

Saleroom notices

Please note this work has been assigned Henry Moore Foundation number HMF2436a

Additional information

The 29 May sale was the departments most successful auction to date making almost £5m.
Furthermore, it was 90% sold by value with some staggering results achieved for fresh, competitively priced material sourced from private collections. Over half of sold lots soared above their high estimates, indicating that Bonhams is best positioned to secure the best price for your Modern British & Irish Art.
The variety on offer within this genre continues to delight buyers, proven by exceptional results for post-war masters such as Auerbach, Scully, Hockney and Freud whilst the early-mid century examples by Spencer, Lavery, Burra and Moore also exceeded expectation. We were proud to break our own world auction record twice over in the same sale for a pencil drawing by L.S. Lowry. Agecroft Regatta sold for £211,250, pipping The Organ Grinder (£151,250) to the title. The sculpture and Irish content were similarly contended for by the packed saleroom and busy telephones.
The cover lot Garden Path, Cookham Rise by Sir Stanley Spencer fetched an impressive £769,250 while the much admired Oil-bound Puffin by Lucian Freud commanded £385,250 on the day, with both returning to private collections.
We are delighted to now invite consignments for the forthcoming auction on 20 November 2013.
Please contact a member of the department or visit the sale webpage for further information.
Buyers' Obligations
ALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS' CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.
If you have any questions about the Conditions of Sale, please contact your nearest client services team.
From 28 June 2025, the import into the EU of non-EU property of a certain age (and in some categories above a certain value) is subject to additional requirements. Under the relevant EU Regulation, it is the Buyer's sole responsibility to assess whether any Lot meets the criteria for import into the EU. The refusal of any required Import Licence or Importer Statement, or any delay in obtaining such Licence or Statement shall not give rise to the rescission or cancellation of any Sale, nor allow any delay in making full payment for the Lot.
Buyers' Premium and Charges
For all Sales categories, buyer's premium excluding Cars, Motorbikes, Wine, Whisky and Coin & Medal sales, will be as follows:
Buyer's Premium Rates
28% on the first £40,000 of the hammer price;
27% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £40,000 up to and including £800,000;
21% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £800,000 up to and including £4,500,000;
and 14.5% of the hammer price of any amounts in excess of £4,500,000.
A 3rd party bidding platform fee of 4% of the Hammer Price for Buyers using the following bidding platforms will be added to the invoices of successful Buyers for auctions starting on or after 6th July 2024 – Invaluable; Live Auctioneers; The Saleroom; Lot-tissimo.
VAT at the current rate of 20% will be added to the Buyer's Premium and charges excluding Artists Resale Right.
Payment Notices
For payment information please refer to the sale catalog.
Shipping Notices
For information and estimates on domestic and international shipping as well as export licenses please contact Bonhams Shipping Department.
- Modern British & Irish Art

Bid now on these items

Coming soon

Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A.
(British, 1887-1976)
Five Figures 26.5 x 18.2 cm. (10 3/8 x 7 1/4 in.)

Refer to department for estimates

Coming soon

Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A.
(British, 1887-1976)
People at the Beach 31.3 x 40.4 cm. (12 3/8 x 16 1/8 in.)

Refer to department for estimates

David Hockney R.A.
(British, born 1937)
Grass and Clouds 50.8 x 31.6 cm. (20 x 12 1/2 in.)

Euan Uglow
(British, 1932-2000)
Camellia Bud 34.5 x 28.8 cm. (13 1/2 x 11 3/8 in.)

Harold Gilman
(British, 1876-1919)
Interior 45.5 x 35.7 cm. (17 7/8 x 14 1/8 in.)

Walter Richard Sickert A.R.A.
(British, 1860-1942)
Nude Lying Across a Bed 37.6 x 45.7 cm. (14 3/4 x 18 in.)

Sir Jacob Epstein
(British, 1880-1959)
Maquette for Madonna and Child 35.5 cm. (14 in.) high

Ivor Roberts-Jones
(British, 1916-1996)
Sir Winston Churchill, maquette for the monument in Parliament Square 51.4 cm. (20 1/4 in.) high

£30,000 - £50,000

Sir Winston Spencer Churchill O.M., HON. R.A.
(British, 1874-1965)
The Lake at Blenheim 50.8 x 61 cm. (20 x 24 in.)

£400,000 - £600,000

Sir Winston Spencer Churchill O.M., HON. R.A.
(British, 1874-1965)
Le Béguinage, Bruges 63.8 x 76.8 cm. (25 1/8 x 30 1/4 in.)

£300,000 - £500,000

David Jones C.H. C.B.E.
(British, 1895-1974)
Landscape with cows 62.2 x 50 cm. (24 1/2 x 19 3/4 in.)

Eliot Hodgkin
(British, 1905-1987)
Parsnips and turnips 14.5 x 48 cm. (5 3/4 x 18 7/8 in.)

David Bomberg
(British, 1890-1957)
Jericho 51.8 x 68 cm. (20 3/8 x 26 3/4 in.)

David Bomberg
(British, 1890-1957)
Talgwyn Farm, Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey 31.7 x 40.2 cm. (12 1/2 x 15 3/4 in.)

Harold Gilman
(British, 1876-1919)
Baby in a Cradle 33 x 55.5 cm. (13 x 21 7/8 in.)

Property from the Collection of Holly Johnson

Sir Stanley Spencer R.A.
(British, 1891-1959)
Baby in a Highchair 50.6 x 76 cm. (19 7/8 x 29 7/8 in.)

£60,000 - £80,000

Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A.
(1887-1976)
Portrait of a Man 49 x 34 cm. (19 3/8 x 13 3/8 in.)

Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A.
(British, 1887-1976)
Standing Man 34.3 x 24.7 cm. (13 1/2 x 9 3/4 in.)

Property from The University of Cumbria

Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A.
(British, 1887-1976)
Figures in a Street 25.2 x 35.2 cm. (10 x 13 7/8 in.)

£25,000 - £35,000

Dame Barbara Hepworth
(British, 1903-1975)
Winged Figure I 162.5 cm. (64 in.) high (including the base) Conceived in 1957 and fabricated in 1963, this work is number 2 from the edition of 3

£800,000 - £1,200,000

Sheila Fell R.A.
(British, 1931-1979)
Woman and Cows on a Country Road 70.8 x 91.5 cm. (27 7/8 x 36 in.)

Sheila Fell R.A.
(British, 1931-1979)
Autumn, Cumbria 101.6 x 126.5 cm. (40 x 49 3/4 in.)

Sir Kyffin Williams R.A.
(British, 1918-2006)
Anglesey Coast, Evening 60.8 x 60.8 cm. (24 x 24 in.)

Sir Kyffin Williams R.A.
(British, 1918-2006)
Penllithrig y Wrach 60.8 x 91.2 cm. (23 7/8 x 35 7/8 in.)