Oval with Points,

1969–70

Henry Moore was among the most influential artists of the twentieth century, recognized for creating sculptures that merge abstraction with elements of nature. Oval with Points began as a series of sketches of an elephant skull. Moore translated the skull’s curves and voids into this soaring abstract form by carving directly into plaster before casting the work in bronze. In uniting a monumental, volumetric body and a crosshatched surface texture, Moore imbued Oval with Points with a sense of both physical and visual dynamism. In 1969, this work launched Princeton University’s development of a public art collection, now one of the most robust in the nation.