Family Travelogue: Hakone Open-Air Museum features HENRY MOORE / Family Travelogue 16 March 2016 Part 5

Saturday 14 April 2018

Hakone Open-Air Museum features HENRY MOORE / Family Travelogue 16 March 2016 Part 5

1969~70 Reclining Figure: Arch Leg

1969~70 bronze made sculpture, Reclining Figure: Arch Leg. by a British artist, Henry Moore (1898~1986)

Henry Moore's inspiring words somehow similar to the guiding principle of The Hakone Open-Air Museum:

"When you are out in the open air, in the sun, rain, and clouds, this helps people appreciate that sculpture is a part of life."

Henry Moore was born in Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. He had a great influence on the development of modern arts and sculptures in UK. Reclining figures are most of Moore's themes. reflected his thoughts on positioning sculptures. These sculptures represents human figures that are meant to be part of the landscape. His works are not easy to comprehend, open for interpretations.

A total of eleven sculptures of Henry Moore are displayed on the grounds of the Hakone Open-Air Museum. Moore was quoted saying:

"I am happy to know that my sculptures are so beautifully placed"

He actually declared his works to be "an art of the open air"

1983~84 Mother and Child: Block Seat

1983~84 bronze made sculpture, Mother and Child: Block Seat by a British artist, Henry Moore (1898~1986)

19859 Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 1

1959 bronze made sculpture, Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 1 by a British artist, Henry Moore (1898~1986)

1948~1949 Family Group

1948~49 bronze made sculpture, Family Group by a British artist, Henry Moore (1898~1986)

1948~1949 Family Group

1969~70 Two Piece Reclining Figure: Points

1969~70 bronze made sculpture, Two Piece Reclining Figure: Points by a British artist, Henry Moore (1898~1986)

1968~1974 Large Spindle Piece

1968~74 bronze made sculpture, Large Spindle Piece, by a British artist, Henry Moore (1898~1986)

1969~70 Reclining Figure

1969~70 bronze made sculpture, Reclining Figure, by a British artist, Henry Moore (1898~1986)

1964~65 Atom Piece (Working Model for Nuclear Energy)

1964~65 bronze made sculpture, Atom Piece (Working Model for Nuclear Energy) by a British artist, Henry Moore (1898~1986)

1979 Reclining Figure: Angles

1979 bronze made sculpture, Reclining Figure: Angles by a British artist, Henry Moore (1898~1986)

1979~81 Two Piece Reclining Figure: Cut

1979~81 bronze made sculpture, Two Piece Reclining Figure: Cut by a British artist, Henry Moore (1898~1986)

The Hakone Open-Air Museum is a Harmony of Sculpture and Nature. It was opened in scenic Hakone in 1969, the first museum in Japan devoted to sculpture in the open air.

The museum is situated in 70,000 sqm of parkland and has distant vistas of mountain and sea that change with the changing seasons.

In 2014, around 300 works of Picasso were added with the over 120 works displayed in the open. Picasso's works are placed inside and photography is prohibited.

Museum staff members check the status of the sculptures daily and carry out any necessary conservation to preserve their beauty and original condition. The staff also focuses on landscaping and planting. The sculptures are placed to balance and harmonize with the terrain of the surrounding mountains.

More art works the next blog...Hakone Open-Air Musuem Part 6

How to get there:

From Gora: Take the Tozan train and alight after one stop at Chokoku-No-Mori Station.

follow the signs to the Open Air Museum.

Getting to the Hakone Open-Air Museum

From Shinjuku, we took the Romance Car to Hakone Yumoto.

From Hakone Yumoto Station, we went down across the road and took the Bus 2 bound to Moto Hakone Ko and Hakone Machi Ko. We alighted at Moto Hakone Ko.

From Moto Hakone Ko, we joined the Lake Ashii Cruise to Togendai Ko

From Togendai Ko, we took the Ropeway to Ubako station

From Ubako station, we took the Bus to Sounzan station

From Sounzan Station, we took the cable car to Gora station

We had our lunch near Gora station before we went to the Open-Air Museum by the Tozan Railway train.

A separate post for our Hakone trip March 2016.

Check out the other art works displayed at Hakone Open-Air Museum: