Sculpture Sunday: Large Standing Figure: Knife Edge

Little Rock’s most famous piece of public art is Henry Moore’s 1961 creation Large Standing Figure: Knife Edge, which is known locally as “The Henry Moore Sculpture.”  The original model was created in 1961; this sculpture was cast in 1976 and purchased in June 1978 by the Little Rock Metrocentre Improvement District. The purchase price was $185,000 — a princely sum at the time but now a bargain for a Henry Moore sculpture.

A committee consisting of Townsend Wolfe (then the director and chief curator of the Arkansas Arts Center), James Dyke and Dr. Virginia Rembert actually traveled to England to meet with Moore about the sculpture.

It was originally placed at the intersection of Capitol and Main as the centerpiece of the pedestrian mall. When the final segment was reopened to vehicular traffic, it was put at its current location of the southeast corner of Capitol and Louisiana.