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Goslar Warrior

Goslar Warrior is a bronze sculpture by English artist Henry Moore, created in 1977 and located on the Rambla de Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. It is one of the most symbolic sculptures on the Rambla and in the city, and was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural by the Canary Islands Government in 2007. According to the official description, it represents a fallen warrior: a reclining figure with the head at one end and a shield at the feet on the opposite side. The work was placed in the city after efforts by Tenerife architect Carlos Schwartz. It was moved in October 2008 to the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes for the opening of the cultural centre and returned to the Rambla in May 2009.

Goslar Warrior bronze sculpture with a rounded recumbent form and upright circular disc in a park.
The Goslar Warrior sculpture shown on a stone plinth in a sunlit park setting.
May 2021 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Goslar Warrior bronze sculpture with an abstract reclining form and spherical element on a stone plinth.
The Goslar Warrior sculpture shown outdoors on a stone plinth.
May 2021 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Goslar Warrior bronze sculpture in an outdoor setting, shown as a dark abstract recumbent figure with a round disc form at one end.
The Goslar Warrior by Henry Moore displayed outdoors on a concrete base.
August 2012 © · CC BY 3.0
Goslar Warrior, a dark bronze reclining abstract sculpture with a circular disc on a rectangular base outdoors.
The Goslar Warrior by Henry Moore, shown outdoors with its circular disc and reclining abstract form.
April 2005 © · Public domain
Metal plaque on a rough stone wall reading Henry Moore and Guerreros de Goslar.
Plaque identifying Henry Moore’s Goslar Warrior, set into a rough stone wall.
May 2021 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleGoslar Warrior
Original titleEl Guerrero de Goslar
Alternative titleIl Guerriero di Goslar
TypeBronze sculpture

Creator

ArtistHenry Moore
Artist nationalityEnglish

Historical context

Date made1977
Commission and donationGifted to the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife by Henry Moore at the request of Carlos Schwartz, after efforts made in London to obtain a sculpture for the city
Purpose of creationCreated to replace another Henry Moore work intended for the 1973 First International Street Sculpture Exhibition in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Related exhibitionFirst International Street Sculpture Exhibition in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1973

Discovery and provenance

Related placeHertfordshire
Carlos SchwartzTenerife architect from Hertfordshire who negotiated in London and visited Moore's studio in Hertfordshire

Physical characteristics

MaterialBronze

Appearance

DescriptionA fallen warrior shown as a reclining figure, with the head at one end and the shield at the feet on the opposite side

Location and ownership

Current locationRambla de Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Temporary relocationMoved to the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (TEA) in October 2008 for its inauguration, and taken to other places in Tenerife for filming before returning
Return dateMay 2009
Related institutionTenerife Espacio de las Artes (TEA)
Related institutionGovernment of the Canary Islands

History and restoration

Heritage designationDeclared a Site of Cultural Interest by the Government of the Canary Islands in 2007
Official gazette date25 June 2007

Significance

NotabilityOne of the most symbolic and iconic sculptures in the Rambla de Santa Cruz and the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife