This sculpture is representative of Lynn Chadwick’s interest in depicting hybrid creatures, which suggests a process of dehumanization and metamorphosis. Chadwick began to make sculptures after the Second World War, and he was among eight young British sculptors invited to exhibit at the Venice Biennale in 1952. In the catalogue to the show, the art critic Herbert Read described their work as representing a “geometry of fear.” The success of the Biennale helped consolidate Chadwick’s reputation internationally. The winged figure appears repeatedly in Chadwick’s oeuvre, and it was realized on both a monumental scale for public sites and on a smaller, domestic scale, as in the work shown here. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016
