The Shelter Drawings 1940-1941
Press release
A significant exhibition of Henry Moore’s Shelter Drawings will open on 1 April 2026 in the newly redeveloped Sheep Field Barn at Henry Moore Studios & Gardens in Perry Green, Hertfordshire, marking the reopening of the building following a major transformation.
Created during the Second World War, Moore’s Shelter Drawings are among the most powerful and widely recognised works of his career. They form a distinct and self-contained body of work within his practice, set apart not only from his activity as a sculptor but also from the wider output of his drawings and prints. Developed over a relatively short but exceptionally intense period, from 1940 to the summer of 1941, this concentrated burst of activity resulted in more than 300 drawings, 30 of which are on display in this exhibition, accompanied by material from the Henry Moore Archive.
Produced while Moore observed Londoners taking refuge in Underground stations during the Blitz, the drawings capture moments of collective vulnerability, endurance, and quiet solidarity. They played a crucial role in establishing Moore’s national and international reputation and remain central to understanding his artistic response to conflict and humanity.
Moore reflected on the significance of the Shelter Drawings, saying:
“Certainly, the shelter drawings did seem to get through to a much larger public than I’d ever reached before, and it did seem to me an extraordinary and fascinating and unique moment in history.”
Henry Moore, 17 December 1961
The exhibition draws on the Henry Moore Foundation’s collection of Shelter Drawings, the largest and one of the most important in the world, and places them within the context of Moore’s life and wider working practice. Presented at the heart of the artist’s former home and workplace in Hertfordshire (they were among the very first works he made there after moving from London), the display offers visitors a rare opportunity to encounter these works in the landscape where Moore lived and worked for over four decades. This is the first exhibition devoted entirely to this landmark series of works since Henry Moore: Shelter Drawings and Sculpture (Imperial War Museum, London, 1998), with nearly a third of the drawings being shown for the first time in 40 years.
The Shelter Drawings 1940-1941 launches a new programme of changing displays in the reimagined Sheep Field Barn, which has been redeveloped to provide improved gallery conditions alongside new learning and studio spaces. The renewed building reflects Moore’s lifelong commitment to education and will support an expanded programme of talks, tours, workshops and drop-in creative activity connected to the exhibition.
“The Shelter Drawings show Henry Moore responding directly to the tumultuous world around him, with extraordinary humanity and sensitivity. Moore moved to Perry Green during the Second World War, from where he could see London enduring the Blitz.
“Presenting these drawings in his redeveloped Sheep Field Barn creates a terrific context for reflection on this important group of works and establishes the barn as a re-imagined space for engaging exhibitions going forward. Opportunities to see the Shelter Drawings together are extremely rare, making this a particularly important moment for audiences and scholars alike.”
Godfrey Worsdale OBE, Director of Henry Moore Foundation
For further information and images please contact:
Emily Dodgson, Head of Marketing & Enterprise
Henry Moore Foundation
emily.dodgson@henry-moore.org
Alicia Lethbridge
Sam Talbot
alicia@sam-talbot.com
Flora Guildford
Sam Talbot
flora@sam-talbot.com
Matthew Brown
Sam Talbot
matthew@sam-talbot.com
Notes to editors
About the Henry Moore Foundation
The Henry Moore Foundation was founded by the artist and his family in 1977 to encourage public appreciation of the visual arts.
Today we support innovative sculpture projects, devise an imaginative programme of exhibitions and research worldwide, and preserve the legacy of Moore himself: one of the great sculptors of the 20th century, who did so much to bring the art form to a wider audience.
We run two venues, in Leeds and Hertfordshire, showing a mix of Moore’s own work and other sculpture.
We also fund a variety of sculpture projects through our Henry Moore Grants and Research programmes and we have a world-class collection of artworks which regularly tour both nationally and internationally.
A registered charity, we award grants to arts organisations around the world, with a mission to bring great sculpture to as many people as possible.
About Henry Moore Studios & Gardens
Henry Moore Studios & Gardens is the former home and work-place of sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986). From 1940 until his death in 1986, Moore lived and worked in rural Hertfordshire where he acquired over 70 acres of land and set up various studios, creating the ideal environment in which he could make and display his work and cater to an international demand for exhibitions.
Now open to visitors, Henry Moore Studios & Gardens offers a unique insight into the artist’s working practice and showcases a large selection of Moore’s renowned monumental sculptures in the landscape in which they were created. It is home to the Henry Moore Archive, one of the largest single-artist archives in the world.
Our visitor season runs from 1 April – 25 October 2026
We are open Wednesday to Sunday and Bank Holidays, 11:00–17:00