Lynn Chadwick British, 1914-2003
Maquette II Two Watchers V (525), 1967
Bronze
39 x 20.5 x 7.25 cm
15 3/8 x 8 1/8 x 2 7/8 in
15 3/8 x 8 1/8 x 2 7/8 in
Edition 3 of 4
'Maquette II Two Watchers V' is an important and rare work by Lynn Chadwick that marks his return to figuration after a period of almost four years focusing on geometric...
'Maquette II Two Watchers V' is an important and rare work by Lynn Chadwick that marks his return to figuration after a period of almost four years focusing on geometric form.
With the new generation of sculptors such as Anthony Caro, William Tucker and David Annesley taking the limelight in the 1960s for their non figurative, boldly abstract and colourful works it is not surprising that Lynn Chadwick would also wish to experiment with geometric form. However his interest in expressing human relationships won over and he returned to the making more figurative works in 1967 by returning to the theme of the 'Two Watchers V' which he had first started in 1961.
'Two Watchers' depicts two figures joined at the torso and was a form that had progressed from Chadwick's early conjunctions and Teddy Boys and Girls via his winged figures. Creating a total of eleven maquettes in quick succession before turning to two large scale versions, these works highlight a period of intense activity perhaps due to Chadwick's forthcoming exhibition in which many of the maquettes were first exhibited at Galeria Blu, Milan in the summer of 1968.
Cast in a small edition of four at the Swiss foundry he was using at the time - Brotal - 'Maquette II Two Watchers V' is a beautifully constructed piece that exhibits Chadwick's signature skill in welding. Using small steel rods Chadwick would construct a delicate frame work - almost like drawing in space - before infilling the sculpture with a plaster compound called Stolit which he would then work on for texture before casting in bronze.
In 1991 an edition of this maquette was selected for a large touring exhibition of Chadwick's work in Japan where it was shown at the Museums of Modern Art in Toyama & Siama, The Hakone Open Air Museum and the The Museum of Kyoto.
With the new generation of sculptors such as Anthony Caro, William Tucker and David Annesley taking the limelight in the 1960s for their non figurative, boldly abstract and colourful works it is not surprising that Lynn Chadwick would also wish to experiment with geometric form. However his interest in expressing human relationships won over and he returned to the making more figurative works in 1967 by returning to the theme of the 'Two Watchers V' which he had first started in 1961.
'Two Watchers' depicts two figures joined at the torso and was a form that had progressed from Chadwick's early conjunctions and Teddy Boys and Girls via his winged figures. Creating a total of eleven maquettes in quick succession before turning to two large scale versions, these works highlight a period of intense activity perhaps due to Chadwick's forthcoming exhibition in which many of the maquettes were first exhibited at Galeria Blu, Milan in the summer of 1968.
Cast in a small edition of four at the Swiss foundry he was using at the time - Brotal - 'Maquette II Two Watchers V' is a beautifully constructed piece that exhibits Chadwick's signature skill in welding. Using small steel rods Chadwick would construct a delicate frame work - almost like drawing in space - before infilling the sculpture with a plaster compound called Stolit which he would then work on for texture before casting in bronze.
In 1991 an edition of this maquette was selected for a large touring exhibition of Chadwick's work in Japan where it was shown at the Museums of Modern Art in Toyama & Siama, The Hakone Open Air Museum and the The Museum of Kyoto.