Watercolour, gouache, ink and chalk on paper
Tate Britain
Tate Collection
Works with images
Works on display
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/henry-moore-om-ch-1659" aria-label="More by Henry Moore OM, CH" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Henry Moore OM, CH</a>
Grey Tube Shelter
Presented by the War Artists Advisory Committee 1946
actions: expressive
actions: postures and motions
actions: processes and functions
adults
air raid
architecture
Blitz
Blitz, London, 1940-42
child
children
courage
emotions and human qualities
emotions, concepts and ideas
group
groups
history
interiors
military: World War II
people
public and municipal
public and municipal
sheltering
sitting
sleeping
underground station
underground station
woman
<p>One evening in autumn 1940, Moore  took cover from an air raid in Belsize Park underground station. Looking around  at the people sheltering there, he became 'fascinated by the sight of people camping out deep under ground'. On returning  to his studio he made some drawings from memory. When Kenneth Clark, chairman  of the War Artists Advisory Committee,  saw the pictures he commissioned  further drawings and appointed Moore  as an official war artist.</p><p>These drawings were exhibited for the first time in 1941. They were often interpreted  as metaphors for the stoic resistance  of the British people in the face of war.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
paper unique watercolour gouache ink chalk
5 August 2002 – 13 April 2003
2003-04-13
5 August 2002 – 13 April 2003
2003-04-13
2002-08-05
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2002-08-05
Henry Moore in the 1940s
Collection based display
1 September 2006 – 31 March 2007
2007-03-31
1 September 2006 – 31 March 2007
2007-03-31
2006-09-01
Imperial War Museum (London, UK)
http://www.iwm.org.uk/
2006-09-01
Henry Moore: War and Utility
Loan-out
24 February 2010 – 12 June 2011
2011-06-12
24 February 2010 – 8 August 2010
2010-08-08
2010-02-24
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
11 March 2011 – 12 June 2011
2011-06-12
2011-03-11
Leeds Art Gallery (Leeds, UK)
http://www.leeds.gov.uk/artgallery/
2010-02-24
Henry Moore
Exhibition
1 September 2010 – 15 April 2011
2011-04-15
11 March 2011 – 12 June 2011
2011-06-12
2011-03-11
Leeds Art Gallery (Leeds, UK)
http://www.leeds.gov.uk/artgallery/
2010-09-01
Henry Moore
Loan-out
7 February 2020 – 1 November 2020
2020-11-01
7 February 2020 – 1 November 2020
2020-11-01
2020-02-07
The Hepworth Wakefield (Wakefield, UK)
2020-02-07
Bill Brandt / Henry Moore
Loan-out
19 December 2022
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2022-12-19
Gallery 37
Collection based display
Grey Tube Shelter
support: 279 × 381 mm
Presented by the War Artists Advisory Committee 1946
<p>
One evening in autumn 1940, Moore <br/>
took cover from an air raid in Belsize Park underground station. Looking around <br/>
at the people sheltering there, he became 'fascinated by the sight of people camping out deep under ground'. On returning <br/>
to his studio he made some <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawings</span></a> from memory. When Kenneth Clark, chairman <br/>
of the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/war-artists" title="Glossary definition for 'War Artists'"><span>War Artists Advisory Committee</span></a>, <br/>
saw the pictures he commissioned <br/>
further drawings and appointed Moore <br/>
as an official war artist.</p>
<p>
 </p>
<p>
These drawings were exhibited for the first time in 1941. They were often interpreted <br/>
as metaphors for the stoic resistance <br/>
of the British people in the face of war.</p>
Display caption
2004-09-08T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N05706</b> GREY TUBE SHELTER 1940</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inscr. ‘Moore 40’ b.r.
<br/>Pen, chalk, wash and gouache, 11×15 (28×38).
<br/>Presented by the War Artists' Advisory Committee 1946.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> <i>National War Pictures</i>, National Gallery, 1943; British Council, <i>Contemporary British Art</i>, Cairo and Algiers, 1945 (42); Wakefield and Manchester, April–July 1949 (92).
<br/><i>Repr:</i> Read, 1944, pl.172<i>b</i>.</p>
<p><a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/moore-grey-tube-shelter-n05706" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>N05706</span></a>–<a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/moore-pink-and-green-sleepers-n05713" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>N05713</span></a> are examples of Moore's <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawings</span></a> of Londoners sheltering from the air raids of 1940–2, mainly in underground stations, done in his capacity as an Official <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/war-artists" title="Glossary definition for 'War Artists'"><span>War Artist</span></a>. His first studies, which were begun before the official commission (see letter reprinted in Sweeney, 1946, pp.67–8), were drawn from memory in the two Shelter Sketch-Books now in the possession of Sir Kenneth Clark and Mrs Irina Moore (a selection from these was published by Editions Poetry London, 1944); some of the drawings of shelterers are juxtaposed with sketches of <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/s/sculpture" title="Glossary definition for 'Sculpture'"><span>sculptural</span></a> figures. The artist has said that the pervading theme of the shelter drawings was the group sense of communion in apprehension; a hint of this mood was retained in the sculptured group ‘Three Standing Figures’ of 1947–8, now in Battersea Park (repr. Read and Sylvester, I, 1957, p.166) (talk recorded for British Council, 1955). The depiction of drapery in these drawings was taken up again on the Time-Life Building ‘Reclining Figure’ of 1952–3 (repr. Read, 11, 1955, No.62).</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, II
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-08T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
actions: expressive actions: postures and motions actions: processes and functions adults air raid architecture Blitz Blitz, London, 1940-42 child children courage emotions and human qualities emotions, concepts and ideas group groups history interiors military: World War II people public and municipal public and municipal sheltering sitting sleeping underground station underground station woman