Lill Tschudi’s Rhythms of Modern Life

Born in the village of Schwanden, high in the mountains of eastern Switzerland, Lill Tschudi (1911–2004) was first introduced to the medium of the linocut as a child on a school trip to see an exhibition of works by Norbertine Bresslern-Roth (1891-1978). She was gripped instantly.

Whilst still at school, she sees an advertisement calling for applications for a training programme at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art in London. Though she only attended for a brief period from 1929-1930, she maintained a close working relationship with her Grosvenor School lecturer, Claude Flight, for many years after. Flight was to be her point of liaison with the British art world for the rest of her life.

Claude Flight found his calling as an artist when he was in his thirties, having previously put his hand to engineering, farming and beekeeping. His observations of the pace at which the modern world moved would go on to be an inspiration to Tschudi and his other students. He wrote in 1925 “Time seems to pass so quickly nowadays. Everybody is in a hurry… this speeding up is one of the psychologically important features of today. Traffic problems, transport problems, everybody is on the rush either for work or pleasure; business is hustle, the Cinema all movement,”.

Having set the tone for a new form of art that celebrated the speed and hustle of the new world they found themselves living in, Tschudi and her peers responded with works distinguished by clean-cut blocks of colour and an exhilarating sense of dynamic movement.

^{Lill Tschudi (Swiss, 1911-2004)
London Buses (Coppel LT85)
linocut printed in colours, 1949, signed and numbered 3 from the edition of 50 in pencil, on Japan paper, with full margins
34 x 8cm, mounted and framed}

^{£15,000-20,000}

Tschudi chose motor-car racing and urban transport systems as the subjects of her work, magnificently capturing the jostle and flow of a busy street in London in this work titled ‘London Buses’, printed in 1949. The 34 by 8cm mounted and framed linocut, signed and numbered 3 from the edition of 50 in pencil, forms part of our Design sale on the 14 and 14 July, with an estimate of £15,000-20,000.

Throughout her lifetime, Tschudi produced 355 linocuts and her work is now held in major print collections around the world.  The V&A and British Museum have both acquired her works.

VIEW LOT 

For more information about the forthcoming sale, please contact - 

John Black

johnblack@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778