The Post-war Modern artist Lynn Chadwick was a pioneer of sculpture throughout the 20th Century up until his death in 2003. In recent auction news, Chadwick’s sculpture titled ‘Maquette IV Walking Woman’ has sold for £138,600, roughly around three times the estimate sale price. This marks the rise in value of works by the British Modern Sculptors increasing significantly, as well as a signifier that the worth of Lynn Chadwick is continuing to rise.
Just this year, Chadwick’s artwork has been selling far above the estimate price, going as high as 280% over. In March 2022, his sculpture titled ‘Sitting Couple on Base III’ from 1972 sold for 152% over the estimate, at £75,600. Chadwick’s sculptural figures aren’t the only works of his that are rising in value either, as one of his pen and ink on paper drawings, dubbed ‘Two Figures’, sold for £7650, 283% over the estimate the month after.
Multiple venues are currently showcasing Lynn Chadwick’s work, such as Sotheby’s London. Various pieces by Chadwick have been put up for auction; realised prices have ranged from 41 USD to $3,477,580 USD depending on the size and medium of the artwork. ‘Pair of Walking Figures – Jubilee’, which sold at Sotheby’s London in 2018 for $3,477,580 USD, set a record for this artist since 1998. Seeing how this year has already started for Lynn Chadwick, are we about to see a new record set in 2022?
Chadwick is intrinsically linked to the British Modernist Sculpture movement of the middle of the 20th century, along with his contemporaries Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Jacob Epstein, and Eduardo Paolozzi. Both before and partially after World War II, Chadwick specialised in architectural design. However, by 1946, he had begun to distance himself from the immaterial side of design and had begun to become more drawn to the material aspects of things. Chadwick had begun making mobiles in 1947, thanks to the encouragement of his employer at the time Rodney Thomas. Initially, these works were made of wire, metal, copper, and brass forms used to decorate the exhibition stands of the company. Eventually, he added ground supports. This was the beginning of the artist’s evolution into the signature sculptures we see today. As his forms started to resemble figures, with geometric heads and thin, hair pin legs, as well as flaring cloaks and polished surfaces adding more movement.
Investing in a Chadwick means you’re not only taking home a piece of timeless modern art with the history of a great artist forged into it, but also something that’s value is rising every year, making it a fantastic addition to your collection. Queen Elizabeth II is one of the major admirers of Chadwick’s work, holding many of his works in both public and private collections. There’s a reason why as an artist he considered with such high regard, and the auction prices are showing this more and more.
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