Henry Moore in Goslar

Alongside our seasonal exhibition Vitality: The Human Landscapes of Henry Moore, we’re holding three open archive sessions that uncover some of the hidden histories of Moore’s monumental sculptures.

Did you know that on 31 May 1975, Henry Moore was the first ever winner of the prestigious Kaiserring award from the town of Goslar in Germany?

The aquamarine and gold ring, featuring an engraving of the seal of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1050-1106), has subsequently been awarded to some of the most distinguished artists of the twentieth and twenty-first century. In 2022 the British installation artist and filmmaker Sir Isaac Julien CBE RA became the 47^th recipient of the award.

Together with the award came a commission for a major work for this small but historic town. When Moore visited Goslar in September 1974 to look at possible sites, he offered the town a cast of his new warrior figure which was just being completed at the Noack Foundry in Berlin. Moore was so taken with the town and its history that he decided to rename this work Goslar Warrior.

You can discover more about Goslar Warrior and other works at our upcoming Open Archive sessions.