Public Park

ST STEPHEN’S GREEN FEBRUARY 2025

The sculpture in St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin, formally titled “Knife Edge,” serves as a powerful, abstract memorial to the Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet, W.B. Yeats. Created by the celebrated British sculptor Henry Moore, it was erected in 1967, many years after Yeats’s death in 1939.

The sculpture is a free-standing, cast bronze monument. Its abstract form, characteristic of Moore’s style, is described as “Knife Edge,” suggesting sharp, angular lines and a dynamic, almost precarious balance. It’s larger than life-size, lending it a monumental presence, despite its location on a relatively low, round-plan metal base. This base, in turn, sits atop a wider, low rubble granite plinth, which is integrated into a cobbled area within a larger paved garden. The setting itself, on the site of former glasshouses, is designed with stepped areas, offering ample seating for visitors to contemplate the artwork.

The text provided described it as, “A notable piece of bronze casting”. This is supported by its abstract form. The fact it is in a public park in the open air it adds a robust quality to the sculpture.

The accompanying plaque clarifies the sculpture’s purpose: “W.B. Yeats 1865-1939. A tribute in bronze by Henry Moore. Erected by admirers of the poet October 1967.” This inscription underscores the collective effort to honour Yeats’s legacy, positioning Moore’s work as a tangible expression of admiration.

The choice of an abstract form to represent Yeats is particularly interesting. It’s described as a “rare example of an abstract depiction of a person” within the context of St. Stephen’s Green’s memorials. This departure from representational portraiture aligns with Moore’s broader artistic philosophy, which prioritised form, space, and material over literal likeness. It also perhaps subtly reflects the multifaceted nature of Yeats’s own work, which blended Irish mythology, symbolism, and modernist experimentation.

W.B. Yeats (1865-1939)

William Butler Yeats was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. An Irish poet and playwright, he was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, a movement that sought to create a distinctly Irish national literature, drawing on Irish folklore, mythology, and history. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923. His poetry often explored themes of Irish identity, spirituality, love, and the passage of time.

Henry Moore (1898-1986)

Henry Moore was one of the most significant British sculptors of the 20th century. He is best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures, which are located around the world as public works of art. 1 His forms are often suggestive of the human figure, frequently featuring reclining figures with hollows and pierced forms. Moore was deeply interested in the relationship between sculpture and landscape, often placing his works in outdoor settings to engage with the surrounding environment. The use of bronze allowed Moore to create very large sculptures.