This is an exquisite example of Lynn Chadwick’s approach to the couple - a theme that preoccupied him for much of his career. Lying in a relaxed pose and physically joined together, Maquette II Two Reclining Figures are brought to life with their polished bronze faces which reflect our gaze and ask us to consider our perception of the couple. As Chadwick commented ‘No expression is an expression’.

Lynn Chadwick first came to international prominence in 1952 when he was included in the British Council’s New Aspects of British Sculpture exhibition for the XXVI Venice Biennale alongside Kenneth Armitage, Reg Butler, Bernard Meadows, Geoffrey Clarke, Robert Adam, William Turnbull and Eduardo Paolozzi. The following year he was one of the twelve semi-finalists for the Unknown Political Prisoner International Sculpture Competition and went on to win the International Prize for sculpture at the 1956 Venice Biennale, beating Giacometti. Many honours and awards followed this period and his work was widely collected both privately and by major institutions globally. In 1964, he was awarded a CBE and in 2001 was elected a Royal Academician. A major retrospective of his work was held at Tate Britain, London in 2003