Sir Jacob Epstein (1880-1959)

Sir Jacob Epstein (1880-1959) ▴ Sir Jacob Epstein (1880-1959) Sunita and her son Enver signed 'Epstein' l.r., pencil 47 x 55.5cm In the early 1920s, Sunita (then called Armina Peerbhoy) left her husband in India and travelled to England with her sister, Anita, and son, Enver. They joined a troupe of magicians where she performed tricks and stunts, later becoming a fortune teller known as Princess Sunita. The sisters also had a stand at the British Empire Exhibition (1924-5) selling erotic trinkets and it is said this may have been how she met Jacob Epstein. During this period, Sunita was the model and lover of the artist Matthew Smith - who may have introduced the pair. In 1925, with the permission of his wife, Epstein invited Sunita, Anita and Enver to move in to their London home. Margaret Epstein was trying to encourage her husband into a new affair and away from Kathleen Garman (who he eventually married in 1955 following Margaret’s death). It is uncertain whether Jacob Epstein had any romantic involvement with either sister, but they can be seen together nude in numerous of his sketches. Despite criticism from some over his choice of model, Epstein thought Sunita was beautiful, and depicted her and her family in over 100 drawings and watercolours. He also sculpted the heads of Sunita and Enver in 1926/7, and used them for his major work 'Madonna and Child' in 1927. He had trouble getting the young boy to stand still, resulting in an unfinished modelling of the child. Perhaps Epstein preferred to depict him lying down and relaxed as we see in the present lot. Condition Report: Framed: 65 x 73cm There is a light border around the edge of the drawing which indicates some fading to the paper has occurred. There are two brown dots l.c., please see images. Unexamined out of glazed frame.