Sir Jacob Epstein

Mr and Mrs E.V. Straude, by whom gifted to the Palm Springs Desert Museum, 1973
Acquired from the above by the present owner

London, Leicester Galleries, Carvings and Bronzes by Jacob Epstein, May 1933, no.9, illustrated in the catalogue (another cast).

J. Epstein, Let There Be Sculpture, London, 1940 (another cast illustrated);
R. Black, The Art of Jacob Epstein, New York, 1942, p.240, no.188, pl. 203 (another cast illustrated);
R. Buckle, Jacob Epstein Sculptor, London, 1963, p.209, plates 321-2 (another cast illustrated);
E. Silber, The Sculpture of Epstein, Oxford, 1986, p.42, no.232, plate 25 (another cast illustrated).

There are a few minute spots of chalky deposit in the crevices around her lower back, and an accumulation of dust in the crevices of her hair. As such, the piece would benefit from a very light surface clean in these areas, but it is otherwise in beautiful original condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Conceived in 1932 and cast in 1934, the present work was executed while the sitter Isobel Nicholas was an art student. Buckle hailed the portrait as 'a triumph...the sculptor's mastery shows itself in the way that, observing narrowly every minute graduation of plane and outline, he knows by instinct or experience just where to exaggerate the curl of a lip, the length of a neck, the elegance of a waist or wrist, the outward jut of the breast...a picture of savage sophistication' (Buckle, op.cit., p.209). Isobel married three times, first to the political journalist Sefton Delmar, then Constant Lambert and finally Alan Rawsthorne. She made a name for herself as a painter as well as designing two ballets with choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton (Tiresias of 1951 and Madame Chrysantheme of 1955). In later life as Isobel Rawsthorne, she became a favourite model of Francis Bacon.