Figure 4.23 Interactive Image Walkthrough: Henry Moore, Women Winding Wool, 1949.

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Henry Moore, Women Winding Wool, 1949. Crayon and watercolor on paper, 13 3/4 × 25 in.

Two women sit opposite each other and hold a common thread from the ball in one woman�s hand. The heads and lower legs of the woman are absent. Thin complex lines fill the body of the figures.

Overlapping lines create values of varying lights and darks, volumetric shapes, and texture. Their energetic strokes also serve to unify the composition. Notice how the lines change direction to create the illusion of space between the background and foreground and imply recognizable shapes.

Zoom in to the woman on the left hand side of the original image, focusing on her arm, shoulder, and hand holding a ball.

The build-up of cross-contour lines and their relative closeness creates value and volume. As the lines are spaced further apart or altogether absent, lighter areas are defined, establishing the illusion of light.

Zoom in to the woman on the left hand side of the original image, focusing even more on her arm and hands.

The energetic strokes, including the physical pressure used to make the marks, create texture, and imply motion. As the strokes change direction, the lighter forms contrast with darker, layered lines, and together, they create recognizable shapes.

Zoom in on the middle sections of both women in the original image, capturing their shoulders, arms, and knees.

The variety of overlapping lines combined with directional, cross-contour strokes produce an energetic interaction between the two figures. The darker values of the overlapping lines in the middle of the piece emphasize the taut yarn string's lightness. Notice how our eyes move throughout the composition before focusing on the women's interaction.

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