28 MAY 1948, Page 16

MOORE AND MICHELANGELO

SIR,—Out of kindness one tends nowadays to overlook the exaggerated language of journalist art critics. But, in fairness both to your readers and to Mr. Henry Moore, I think that Mr. Middleton should explain his fantastic statement that "Moore is the Michelangelo of our time." Michelangelo, apart from being a great original genius in sculp- ture, was a magnificent draughtsman ; his poems are certainly not neg- ligible; as a painter, he has to his credit both The Last 7udgment and the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, one of the most gigantic and inspiring decorative schemes in the history of art ; as an architect, his name honours both the dome of St. Peter's and the Biblioteca Laurenziana ; nor must I forget the tombs of the Medici and of Pope Julius a Mr. Moore, apart from his sculptural activities, the value of which is still doubtful to say the least, has, I believe, designed some dress fabrics.—I am, Sir, yours