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Histories of Northamptonshire
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Madonna and Child Maquette

1944- 5 Modern

Maquette (preliminary model) for Madonna and Child statue at St Matthews Church, Northampton. It was commissioned from the now-famous sculptor Henry Moore.

Bronze cast from clay maquete produced by sculptor Henry Moore © NMAG
Bronze cast from clay maquete produced by sculptor Henry Moore
Madonna and Child by Henry Moore located at St Matthews Church, Northampton © Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Madonna and Child by Henry Moore located at St Matthews Church, Northampton

There has been a strong sense of patronage towards the arts in Northampton which is epitomised by Henry Moore’s Madonna and Child sculpture in St Matthews Church. Of international importance the sculpture is made from Hornton stone, and was carved by Moore from 1943 to1944.

The work was commissioned for the church in 1943 by the then Canon of the Church, Walter Hussey for the 50th anniversary of the church. Father Hussey had a great desire to create and build partnerships between the church and modern artists through adventurous commissions.

During the thirteen years of his incumbency he commissioned for St Matthew's, often at extraordinarily low cost, a series of fine works of art. This included a painting by Graham Sutherland, a religious cloak by John Piper, musical works by Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Lennox Barkeley, Herbert Howells, Gerald Finzi and Northampton composers, Malcolm Arnold and Edmund Rubbra, as well as a Litany and anthem by W H Auden and a piece by artist Norman Nicholson.

For his Madonna and Child statue in St Matthews Church, Northampton, Moore produced 12 clay preliminary maquettes. This bronze was cast from one of those clay maquettes.

Number 84 of the objects selected for the A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects exhibition 2025.

Northampton
Contributed by NMAG

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