High Hat Man and High Hat Woman
by Lynn Chadwick

The Pair

Conceived in 1968, at the height of Lynn Chadwick's mature practice, this pair of monumental bronzes reduces the human figure to a few essential geometric forms. The broad, rectangular male contrasts with the slender, elongated female. Crowned by their characteristic high hats, the two figures create a striking sense of verticality. The differences in posture and proportion suggest a psychological relationship between the two. Chadwick captures an elusive sense of ‘attitude’ through the subtle interplay of their forms. The pair reflects Chadwick's exploration of standing, sitting and reclining couples, a recurring theme in his work from the mid-1950s onwards.

Conceived twelve years after his triumph at the 1956 Venice Biennale, the present pair brings together the architectural clarity of his constructions, the material richness of his mature bronzes and his sustained interest in the psychological relationship between figures. Standing over two metres high and combining geometric abstraction with a distinctly human presence, High Hat Man and High Hat Woman exemplify the monumental yet expressive character of Chadwick's mature sculptural language.

The Method

Chadwick's method was instinctive and experimental. He developed his sculptures directly in three dimensions, generally without preparatory drawings, in a way similar to the principles of automatism, art informel and Abstract Expressionism.

He welded steel rods into open frameworks, a process he described as ‘drawing in steel rods’, before applying Stolit, a compound of gypsum and iron filings, to create surfaces that could be worked smooth or textured. The models were then cast in bronze. Although this was an expensive and technically complex process, especially on this scale, bronze came to dominate his practice from the late 1950s onwards. He regarded colour as a potential distraction and preferred the effects of patina and surface texture.

At Auction

Monumental bronzes by Lynn Chadwick appear relatively rarely on the international auction market, particularly his large-scale compositions featuring paired figures. Notable auction results include Jubilee IV (1985), sold at Christie's in November 2023 for approximately €3.1 million, and Pair of Walking Figures – Jubilee (1977), sold at Sotheby's in February 2018 for approximately €2.85 million, both including buyer's premium.