LYNN CHADWICK | Stairs

Gasiunasen Gallery, Palm Beach
Acquired from the above on August 10, 2002

Lynn Chadwick (exhibition catalogue), Galería Freites, Caracas, 1993, illustration of another cast n.p.
Dennis Farr & Eva Chadwick, Lynn Chadwick Sculptor, With a Complete Illustrated Catalogue 1947-1996, Oxford, 1997, no. C125, illustration of another cast p. 415
Dennis Farr & Eva Chadwick, Lynn Chadwick Sculptor, With a Complete Illustrated Catalogue 1947-2005, Aldershot, 2006, no. C125, illustration of another cast p. 423
Dennis Farr & Eva Chadwick, Lynn Chadwick Sculptor, With a Complete Illustrated Catalogue 1947-2005, Farnham, 2014, no. C125, illustration of another cast p. 412

The work is in very good condition. Rich black patina. Some minor dirt in deeper crevices. Some extremely minor rubbing to the tops of the figures' heads and to the edges of the stairs. There is a one-inch scuff to the stairs below the front facing figure's feet. Some other minor scattered scuffs to the stairs. There are a couple minor scuffs to the patina on the faces of both figures. You may contact the Impressionist & Modern Art department directly for a condition report of this lot prepared by Wilson Conservation
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Fascinated by the rhythmic balance of human figures, Chadwick began exploring the motif of descending and ascending stairs in the early 1990s. Capturing motion was a central concern for Chadwick, and as the years progressed his walking sculptures became more vigorous: the wing-like forms previously stationed at the figures’ sides became flowing sleeves, capes or full-length cloaks. As Herbert Read notes, “Chadwick is preoccupied with states of attention or alertness in the human figure or the animal. His aim is to incorporate a moment of maximum intensity, and this he does by the most direct means—the reduction of bodily attitudes to their magnetic lines of force” (quoted in Judith Collins, Lynn Chadwick: The Collection at Lypiatt Park, New York, 2006, p. 22).

Chadwick uses his understanding of contradictory lines and shapes to create brilliant dynamism in an inherently stagnant moment. Chadwick heightens the inherent tension with the starkly forward facing positions of both figures, neither acknowledging the others’ presence. The artist reflected on this series of sculptures, stating “Curved figures of women are climbing and descending. Well dressed, well formed, unthinking, they know where they are going. They pass on the stairs, but do not see each other. The stairway is the passage to their destination” (ibid., p. 188).

Eva Chadwick has kindly confirmed that this cast is recorded in the artist’s archives.