Image: Henry Moore Foundation, Edinburgh
An exhibition of the Shelter Drawings is the largest presentation of the works in more than 25 years, bringing together drawings that are rarely shown due to their sensitivity and importance. It is one of the last opportunities to see the works together before they return to the Foundation’s collection, where they will not be on public display in this way for some time.
The exhibition runs from 1 April to 25 October 2026 at Sheep Field Barn, Studios & Gardens, Hertfordshire. Thirty of the more than 300 drawings created between 1940 and the summer of 1941 are on display, accompanied by material from the Henry Moore Archive.
Commissioned by the War Artists Advisory Committee, the drawings depict Londoners sheltering in London Underground stations during the Blitz of 1940–41.
The drawings were among the first works Moore made after moving from the capital to Perry Green, Hertfordshire. They emerged from a concentrated burst of activity that took place over a relatively short but exceptionally intense period, from 1940 to the summer of 1941.
Produced while Moore observed Londoners taking refuge in Underground stations during the Blitz, the drawings capture moments of collective vulnerability, endurance and quiet solidarity. They played a crucial role in establishing Moore’s national and international reputation and remain central to understanding his artistic response to conflict and humanity.
