Sheep Grazing
- Artist: Henry Moore OM, CH
- Date: 1974
- Medium: Lithograph on paper
- Dimensions: image: 127 x 190 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “Sheep Grazing” by Henry Moore OM, CH, created in 1974 as part of a limited series of five lithographs that also includes “Sheep Walking” and “Sheep Climbing”. Printed at Curwen Studio, each piece was issued in an edition of thirty and bears Moore’s own inscription—“Moore” on the back and “For the Tate” on the front. The work is a quiet study of a flock in motion, capturing the gentle rhythm of feeding. Moore’s lithographic technique reduces the figures to flowing lines and soft curves, suggesting both the physical mass of the animals and the lightness of the landscape. The composition invites the viewer to step into the pastoral scene, while the paper’s subtle texture adds depth without distraction. Though modest in size—just over 12 by 19 centimetres—the print’s clarity and focus make it feel expansive, as if the grazing field stretches far beyond the frame. Presented by the Henry Moore Foundation in 1982, “Sheep Grazing” exemplifies Moore’s exploration of everyday subjects, turning the ordinary into an elegant visual meditation.
See it in person
Sheep Grazing is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
