Limited-edition prints by renowned sculptor and artist, Lynn Chadwick CBE RA, are going under the hammer this week.
Chadwick moved to Lypiatt Park near Stroud in 1958 where he lived until his death in 2003. It was during that period that the prints were produced, Standing Electra, an artist’s proof lithograph, and Winged Figures, number one of 50 prints produced.
The artist is known for austere, geometric bronze sculptures Winged Figures or the brooding Watchers. Known as the architect of the ‘Geometry of Fear’ in metal, his reputation rests firmly on his sculptures.
Though Chadwick once famously claimed he ‘couldn’t bear drawing’, the visual language he developed — which translated his architectural training into his sculpture — originated on the flat surface. His two-dimensional output includes drawings, lithographs, and watercolour paintings that function not as ends in themselves, but as exercises in balance, structure, and kinetic possibility.
The prints will be sold at Wotton Auction Rooms in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, on Thursday, October 30th, Lots 2332 and 2333, both with an estimate of £300-400 and presented in Darbyshire frames.
Art specialist at Wotton Auction Rooms, Toby Lennox-Hilton, said: “We’re delighted to present two superb Lynn Chadwick prints that carry the sculptor’s bold, angular forms into vivid graphic statements.
“Both signed prints are of sketches, echoing the tension and poise of his celebrated bronzes. Chadwick lived and worked in Gloucestershire for many years, making these prints a meaningful addition to any Cotswold collection.”
In 1958, Chadwick purchased Lypiatt Park, a large, decaying Gothic manor where he would spend the rest of his life transforming the property and its grounds into a backdrop for his monumental works, establishing a powerful connection between his art and the landscape.
“This place was the same price as a three-bedroom house … and nobody wanted it, so … I borrowed the money and came here. It was sort of wonderful, making another room habitable every year,” he said.
He set up a studio in the medieval chapel where he installed the blacksmith’s anvil. Chadwick made it his project to restore the house and garden. In 1986 he purchased the surrounding land in Toadsmoor Valley and began to place his work there.
Chadwick’s later decades brought continued accolades, including being named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1964 and his election as a Royal Academician in 2001.
