HENRY MOORE EXAMINING MARBLE; TALKING ABOUT HIS STAY IN ITALY (SOF).



TRANSCRIPT: "WELL, I'M IN HERE IN ITALY BECAUSE FIRST, I LOVE ITALY. I LOVE THE SUNSHINE...I LOVE THE PEOPLE, BUT ALSO BEING SO NEAR TO THE FIRM THAT I CAN GET ALL THE STONE -- ANY KIND OF STONE THAT I WISH -- FOR ME THIS IS MARVELLOUS. ALSO, OF COURSE ARTISSIMO, UP HERE, IS THE VERY MOUNTAIN WHERE MICHELANGELO FOR WHOM I'VE GOT PERHAPS AN OBSESSION. IT'S THE VERY MOUNTAIN WHERE HE SPENT NEARLY TWO YEARS QUARRYING STONE THAT HE WAS GOING TO USE FOR ONE OF HIS LARGE SCULPTURE SCHEMES. AND THAT ALSO MAKES IT FOR ME AND EMOTIONAL, ROMANTIC PLACE TO BE IN. I HAVE TWO OR THREE MONTHS EACH SUMMER HERE AND AT THE END OF IT WE'LL HAVE HAD SOMETHING OF A HOLIDAY BUT ALSO TO DO SOME WORK."




Initials RGH/



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Background: EACH YEAR THE WORLD-FAMOUS SCULPTOR HENRY MOORE LEAVES HIS HOME IN BRITAIN FOR ITALY. HIS TWO OR THREE-MONTH STAY THERE IS ONLY PARTLY A HOLIDAY: MOSTLY IT'S FOR THE IMPORTANT JOB OF HIS YEAR'S WORLD -- SELECTING HIS MARBLE.

THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR HENRY MOORE TO GO TO A TINY VILLAGE IN THE APUANE ALPS NOT FAR FROM FLORENCE IN CENTRAL ITALY. BUT ONE IS WHAT THE SCULPTOR CALLS "ROMANTIC". AN EVEN MORE FAMOUS PREDECESSORS OF HIS MICHELANGELO, SPENT TWO YEARS THERE QUARRYING STONE FOR ONE OF HIS LARGER WORKS.

HENRY MOORE EXPLAINED IT ALL TO OUR REPORTER