Galería Freites, Caracas
Acquired from the above

Dennis Farr & Eva Chadwick, Lynn Chadwick, Sculptor, With a Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 1947-1996, Stroud, 1997, no. C133, illustration of another cast p. 420
Dennis Farr & Eva Chadwick, Lynn Chadwick, Sculptor, With a Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 1947-2005, Aldershot, 2006, no. C133, illustration of another cast p. 428

Dark brown/ black patina. There are some accretions and surface dirt in the crevices. There is some minor rubbing to the stairs. Otherwise very 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.
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.

Entranced by rhythmic counter-positions, Chadwick began exploring the motif of descending and ascending stairs in 1991. Capturing motion was a fascinating concept for the artist through his career. 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. The cloaks billowed behind the figures as they faced a headstrong wind, enhancing the dynamism of their motion. As Herbert Read noted, “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. In the present work the artist heightens the tension and difficulty of movement via the amorphous billowing of her hair and skirt against the linearity of the stairs, with the soft outline of the figure’s buttocks counterbalanced by the dramatic blowing of her adornments. Chadwick reflected on this series of sculptures by 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).