3430 - LYNN CHADWICK

LYNN CHADWICK (London 1914–2003 Gloucestershire) First Stair Pair. 1991. Bronze. 6/9. Stamped on the base with the artist’s monogram, reference number, and foundry stamp: C111 P.E. 50 × 25 × 23 cm. Provenance: - Galleria Blu, Milan. - Private collection, Italy, acquired from the above gallery in 1998. Literature: Eva Chadwick and Dennis Farr: Lynn Chadwick. Sculptor: with a complete illustrated catalogue 1947–1988, Stroud 1997, p. 406, no. C111 (with ill.). We thank Lypiatt Studio and the Estate of Lynn Chadwick for their kind assistance, September 29, 2026. This work is registered in the archive of the Estate of Lynn Chadwick. Human and animal figures are central to Lynn Chadwick’s body of work. While his early works are often characterized by calm, seemingly static poses, the depiction of movement takes on increasing importance in his later work. In the early 1990s, Chadwick devoted greater attention to the subject of climbing stairs. The 1991 sculpture “First Stair Pair” reflects Chadwick’s enduring interest in interpersonal relationships. Two female figures encounter one another on a staircase: while one ascends, the other descends. From these opposing movements, Chadwick develops a rhythmically balanced composition in which movement and stillness achieve a dynamic equilibrium. Their featureless heads leave it unclear whether the two figures perceive one another or communicate. This deliberate ambiguity lends the scene particular tension and expressive power. The sculpture brings together key elements of Chadwick’s practice: geometric abstraction, the reduction of the body to distinctive forms, and subtle interaction in space. Chadwick deliberately uses angular, slender, armless bodies and striking pyramid-shaped heads to depict female figures. Their expressive power stems less from individual facial features than from the figures’ posture and spatial orientation, which define their relationship to one another. * The full tax is charged on this item marked *; that is, VAT will be charged on the total amount but refunded to purchasers upon presentation of a validly stamped export declaration.