Lynn Chadwick (1914–2003, London) was one of the leading British sculptors of the post-war period. Originally trained as an architectural draughtsman, he began making mobiles before developing the distinctive welded-metal sculptures for which he became internationally known. His figures combine geometric abstraction with recognisable human and animal forms, often characterised by angular bodies, elongated limbs and contrasting surface treatments. Chadwick emerged internationally in the 1950s, representing Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1952 and 1956; in 1956 he was awarded the Biennale’sInternational Sculpture Prize.
Executed in 1975, Pair of Reclining Figures X belongs to Chadwick’s important series of paired human figures, a subject he explored repeatedly through standing, seated and reclining compositions. Cast in bronze, the two figures balance abstraction and figuration: their bodies are reduced to strongly constructed geometric volumes, while the polished faces and torsos contrast with the darker, textured bronze surfaces.The reclining pose gives the composition an unusual sense of intimacy and repose while preserving the architectural quality characteristic of Chadwick’s sculpture.