Knife Edge By Henry Moore

Sculpture By Henry Moore

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The "Moore Statue," officially titled Standing Figure: Knife Edge (LH 482), is a seminal work by the British sculptor Henry Moore. While it is an abstract piece, its placement in St. Stephen's Green serves a specific commemorative purpose as a tribute to the Irish poet W.B. Yeats.

Artistic Origins and Design

The sculpture was designed in 1961 and cast in bronze around 1961–1964. Moore’s inspiration for this specific form was surprisingly organic: it began with a fragment of a bird's breastbone. Moore was fascinated by the structural strength and "knife-blade" fineness of bones, which he would often build up with plasticine to create maquettes (small models).

Form and Silhouette: The sculpture is a lean, contorted vertical figure. From a distance, it resembles a human torso or a "Winged Figure"—a nod to the Nike of Samothrace (Winged Victory). Its surfaces consist of broad, smooth planes that taper into sharp, "knife-like" edges.

The "Knife Edge" Effect: Moore intentionally designed the piece to change dramatically as a viewer walks around it. From the front, it appears wide and substantial, but as you move to the side, it virtually disappears into a thin, sharp line.

The Yeats Memorial Garden

Erected in October 1967, the sculpture was unveiled by then-Taoiseach Jack Lynch. It was the first abstract monument in St. Stephen's Green, a park otherwise filled with traditional figurative busts.

Symbolism: While the sculpture is not a literal likeness of Yeats, Lynch noted at the unveiling that the poet—who detested "trite" or "facile" monuments—would have likely appreciated the work's modern, complex spirit.

Setting: It is situated within a terraced, amphitheater-like garden. This "tiered" design provides a quiet space for reflection, mirroring the contemplative nature of Yeats’s poetry and his work in the theater.

Inscription: A plaque near the sculpture reads: "W.B. Yeats 1865-1939. A tribute in bronze by Henry Moore. Erected by admirers of the poet October 1967."