LYNN CHADWICK | Spiral II

Galería Freites, Caracas (acquired from the artist in 1993)
Private Collection, Miami (acquired in 1993)
Private Collection, Caracas (acquired in 2018)
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Caracas, Galería Freites, Chadwick, 1993, no. 20, illustrated in the catalogue

Dennis Farr & Eva Chadwick, Lynn Chadwick Sculptor, With a Complete Illustrated Catalogue 1947-1996, Oxford, 1997, no. C131S, illustration of another cast pp. 420-21
Lynn Chadwick (exhibition catalogue), Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, 2000, illustration of another cast n.p.
Dennis Farr & Eva Chadwick, Lynn Chadwick Sculptor, With a Complete Illustrated Catalogue 1947-2005, Aldershot, 2006, no. C131S, illustration of another cast pp. 428-29
Dennis Farr & Eva Chadwick, Lynn Chadwick Sculptor, With a Complete Illustrated Catalogue 1947-2005, Farnham, 2014, no. C131S, illustration of another cast p. 417

Rich black patina. Some surface dust and dirt in the deeper crevices. There is some discloration to the faces of the figures. Some discoloration to the patina on the axis of the steps. A few scattered scuffs on the inherent base. The work is in good condition.
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.
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Well dressed, well formed but unthinking is how Chadwick described the figures in his small series of staircase sculptures of the 1990s: “They pass on the stairs, but do not see each other” (quoted in Judith Collins, Lynn Chadwick: The Collection at Lypiatt Park, New York, 2006, p. 188). This explicit absence of interaction is unlike almost all of his earlier multi-figured sculptures, which hinge on the reciprocation between figures, or as Chadwick termed it “attitude,” whereby his subjects acknowledge their shared space. Whether marching in step or sitting together on a bench the relationship is often endearing, or at least companionable. A shared bench comes with an awareness of proximity, even between strangers, whereas stairways are unusual in providing a space where two figures come into close contact while preserving their anonymity. The two women in Spiral II recall the unconnected figures of M.C. Escher’s staircase designs in which the inhabitants are so far removed from one another that they exist in separate gravity wells (see fig. 1).   Chadwick had begun to experiment with this theme of stairways as early as 1988, but it was not until 1990 that the first bronzes were cast. The series includes only two works with a spiral staircase: Spiral I was conceived in 1990 and is half the height of Spiral II, conceived the following year.



Sarah and Daniel Chadwick have kindly confirmed this cast is recorded in the artist’s archives.