THE Henry Moore Studios & Gardens is pleased to present The Shelter Drawings in Context, an evening of talks and discussion exploring Henry Moore’s celebrated Shelter Drawings and the wider artistic response to wartime Britain.

Taking place on Thursday 9 July 2026, the event brings together two leading experts in wartime art: Sebastiano Barassi, Head of Henry Moore Collections & Programmes at the Henry Moore Foundation, and Rebecca Newell, Head of Art at the Imperial War Museums (IWM).

The conversation will be framed by two major exhibitions opening in 2026: The Shelter Drawings 1940–1941 at Henry Moore Studios & Gardens and Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art at IWM London.

Drawing on these exhibitions, Barassi and Newell will examine Moore’s wartime practice, the role of the War Artists’ Advisory Committee, and the social history of London’s Underground shelters during the Blitz.

The event will offer audiences fresh perspectives on one of the most significant bodies of work in Moore’s career and place it within the broader context of artists documenting and responding to conflict.
Henry Moore’s Shelter Drawings, created after witnessing Londoners sheltering in Underground stations during air raids, remain among the most powerful artistic records of civilian life during the Second World War. Combining artistic innovation with human empathy, the drawings secured Moore’s international reputation and continue to resonate with audiences today.