Lynn Chadwick facts for kids

Lynn Russell Chadwick (born November 24, 1914 – died April 25, 2003) was a famous English sculptor and artist. He is best known for his unique sculptures, which often look like a mix of real figures and abstract shapes. Many of his artworks are made from bronze or steel. You can find his sculptures in major museums around the world, like the MoMA in New York, the Tate in London, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

Early Life and Learning

Lynn Chadwick was born in Barnes, a part of western London. He went to Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood. Even as a student, he wanted to be an artist. However, his art teacher thought architecture might be a better choice for him.

So, Chadwick started training as a draughtsman, which is someone who makes detailed technical drawings. He worked for several architects, learning how to design buildings. This training was his only formal art education. He later said that it taught him how to arrange things and create good compositions, which was very helpful for his sculptures.

Serving in the War

In April 1941, Chadwick decided to join the Fleet Air Arm, which is the part of the British Navy that uses aircraft. From 1941 to 1944, he served as a pilot during World War II. His job was to protect ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Becoming a Sculptor

Sculpture on the steps of the Yerevan Cascade.

After the war, Chadwick went back to working on designs for trade shows. In 1946, he won a prize for a textile design, which led to more design work. He also created exhibition stands for a company that worked with aluminum.

Around 1947, Chadwick started making his first "mobiles." These were sculptures that could move, made from wire, wood, and cut metal shapes. Some of these early works looked like fish. He later developed "stabiles," which were similar sculptures but stood firmly on the ground. During this time, he also designed fabrics and furniture.

Chadwick explained that he wanted to create something "touchable" and "tangible." He felt that architecture was too abstract because his drawings often never became real buildings. He wanted to make art that he could actually see and feel in front of him.

Life at Lypiatt Park

In 1947, Chadwick left London to find a better place for his family and more space for his art. He settled in a small village near Cheltenham. There, he turned old farm buildings into his art studio. This is where he started working on his first sculptures.

In September 1958, Chadwick bought Lypiatt Park, a large historic house in Gloucestershire. The house was old and needed a lot of work, but it was affordable. He loved the idea of restoring it. He set up his studio in the medieval chapel of the house. He spent many years fixing up the house and its gardens. Later, he bought the land around it and began placing his large sculptures there.

His Art Career Takes Off

In 1949, one of Chadwick's small mobiles was displayed in the window of a gallery called Gimpel Fils. This led to his first solo art show there the next year. This show brought him a lot of attention and important projects. He was asked to create two large sculptures for the 1951 Festival of Britain in London.

For the Festival of Britain, he made a large hanging mobile called Tower Mobile. He also created a big fixed sculpture called Stabile (Cypress) from copper and brass. These works showed that he was moving from being a designer to a full-time sculptor.

Chadwick realized he needed to learn how to weld metal to make bigger sculptures. So, in 1950, he took a welding course in London. This skill helped him create large pieces for public spaces.

In 1952, Chadwick was invited to show his work at the XXVI Venice Biennale, a very important international art exhibition. He was one of eight young British sculptors chosen. His work received a lot of praise, and his reputation grew quickly. He became known internationally almost overnight.

Chadwick never went to art school for sculpture. He used his skills from architectural drawing to create his unique welding technique. He would build a "skeleton" of welded steel rods and then add a solid "body" to his figures. He made sculptures from iron, bronze, and steel, creating figures that looked like insects, animals, and human forms.

Around 1954, he started using a new material called "Stolit." This was a mix of gypsum and iron filings that could be applied wet and then shaped when dry. This new method was a big step forward in his work. Later, he also began casting his sculptures in bronze.

Winning the Venice Biennale

In 1956, Chadwick was chosen again to represent Britain at the XXVIII Venice Biennale. This time, he won the International Sculpture Prize! This was a big surprise because he beat other famous sculptors like Alberto Giacometti. He was also the youngest artist ever to win this award. After this, many people saw him as the next great British sculptor, following Henry Moore.

After the Biennale, his exhibition traveled to many European cities before coming to London. In 1957, he had his first solo show in the United States.

Later Years and New Styles

During the 1960s, art styles changed, and Pop Art became popular. However, Chadwick continued to get many requests for his sculptures, especially from Italy, Denmark, and Belgium. In 1962, he was invited to create a large outdoor sculpture in Italy. He made Two Winged Figures, his first sculpture made entirely of steel.

Chadwick started to work in a more abstract style in the 1960s. He created works like King (1964), which were inspired by the famous figures on Easter Island. He also made colorful, geometric sculptures from wood and Formica. His male figures often had blocky, rectangular heads, while his female figures had more delicate diamond or pyramid shapes for heads.

By the end of the 1960s, Chadwick was creating complex groups of figures, like his "Elektra" series. He also started adding polished, shiny parts to his bronze sculptures. These shiny areas would highlight certain parts of the figures, creating a nice contrast with the matte finish.

From 1968 to 1990, Chadwick worked on many sculptures of standing, sitting, and reclining couples. He explored how the male and female figures related to each other, focusing on their "attitude" or feeling.

In 1973, he began to dress his figures in pleated clothing, often with flowing cloaks and wings. This continued into the 1980s, with works like High Wind showing the effects of wind on the figures. He also started placing clothed sitting couples on benches, trying to make his sculptures look more realistic.

In 1989, Chadwick returned to working with steel. He created a series of large, powerful "beasts" from welded stainless-steel sheets. These sculptures had titles like Rising Beast and Howling Beast. He loved how the steel would catch and reflect the light, even on dull days.

In 1995, Chadwick decided to stop working. He felt he had said all he wanted to say through his art. In 2001, he became a Senior Royal Academician of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Lynn Chadwick passed away at Lypiatt Park in 2003. He was buried near a spot where he used to sit and think, overlooking a valley.

Personal Life

In 1942, Lynn Chadwick married Ann Secord, and they had a son named Simon. In 1959, he married Frances Jamieson, and they had two daughters, Sarah and Sophie. After Frances passed away in 1964, he married Éva Reiner in 1965. They had one son, Daniel. Éva was a constant support to him and helped keep records of his artwork.

Awards and Special Recognition

• 1953: Received an honorable mention in the Unknown Political Prisoner international sculpture competition.
• 1956: Won the International Prize for Sculpture at the Venice Biennale.
• 1964: Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
• 1985: Awarded the French Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
• 2001: Became a Royal Academician in the UK.

Public Collections

Lynn Chadwick's sculptures are displayed in many important museums and galleries around the world, including:

• Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, US
• Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, US
• Arts Council of Great Britain, London, UK
• British Council, London, UK
• Contemporary Art Society, London, UK
• Hakone Open-Air Museum, Hakone, Japan
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, US
• Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland
• Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
• Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humblebaek, Denmark
• Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Musée Rodin, Paris, France
• Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels, Belgium
• Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Museum of Modern Art, New York, US
• Nasjonalgalleriet, Oslo, Norway
• National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
• National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, UK
• Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum, Aalborg, Denmark
• Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, Italy
• Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
• Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Collegeville, PA
• Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
• Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK
• San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, US
• South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
• Tate Gallery, London, UK
• Tel Aviv Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel
• University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI
• Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield, UK
• Museum de Fundatie, Zwolle, The Netherlands

Gallery

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  'Roaring Lion', bronze sculpture, 1960, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel

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  Two Figures (Conjunction XV), bronze sculpture, 1970, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel

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  'Two Seated Figures', bronze sculpture, 1973, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel

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  Sculpture Sitting Couple by Lynn Chadwick, Berkeley Square, London W1/UK

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  'Couple on Seat', bronze sculpture, 1984, Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, London, Great Britain

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  Lynn Chadwick, ‘King and Queen’, 1990, Bronze. Sited above the entrance to Fortnum and Mason, Piccadilly, London.

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  ’Sitting Couple’, 1989-1990, Bronze, by Lynn Chadwick, Exchange Square (Hong Kong)

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  ’High Hat Man and High Hat Woman’, 1968, Bronze, by Lynn Chadwick. Alexandra House, Central, Hong Kong