c.1925-30
Watercolour with pencil
h43 x w55cm (unframed)
h72 x w82cm (framed)

Signed Epstein (upper right)

Provenance:
Simon Hilton Ltd in Essex, where purchased by present owner in 2005.

Messums Art Market says: Examples of Sunita estimate at auction between £1,500 – 2,500. The present work is one of the strongest renderings of Sunita to appear in recent years.

Sir Jacob Epstein KBE (1880 – 1959) was an American-British sculptor who helped pioneer modern sculpture. He was born in the United States, and moved to Europe in 1902, becoming a British subject in 1910. Epstein became a founding member of the London Group in 1913 and had his first solo show the same year. His sculpture and monuments were often mired in controversy, including his tomb for Oscar Wilde. It was only after the Second World War that his work began to achieve public acceptance. The Arts Council honoured Epstein with a retrospective exhibition at the Tate Gallery in 1953.

Armina Peerbhoy, born in India and generally known just as Sunita, arrived in London in the 1920s and became a model for Jacob Epstein in sculptures, such as Madonna and Child (1927), and numerous studies such as the present work.

Seller Price £3,000
Messums Estimate £2,000 – £3,000
Comparative Auction Price: £2,500
Comparative Gallery Price: N/A