Born on November 10, 1880, in New York City, Sir Jacob Epstein would become one of the most provocative and influential sculptors of the 20th century.
Born on November 10, 1880, in New York City, Sir Jacob Epstein would become one of the most provocative and influential sculptors of the 20th century.
November 10, 2025
Born on November 10, 1880, in New York City, Sir Jacob Epstein would become one of the most provocative and influential sculptors of the 20th century.
A pioneer of modern British sculpture, Epstein’s work was marked by bold forms, raw emotion, and a refusal to conform to convention — qualities that both scandalized and inspired his contemporaries.
Epstein’s early fascination with form and anatomy stemmed from his studies at the Art Students League in New York and later at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Moving to London in 1905, he soon made waves with his monumental sculptures that challenged Victorian sensibilities.
Throughout his career, Epstein championed a sculptural language rooted in primitivism and vitality. His figures, often carved directly into stone or modeled in bronze, embodied a physical intensity that captured the spirit rather than the likeness of his subjects.
Works such as Rock Drill (1913), a powerful fusion of human and machine, anticipated the anxieties of modernity and the mechanized century to come. After World War I, the artwork was dismantled by the artist himself, reflecting his disillusionment.
His later religious works, including Ecce Homo (1934–35) and the monumental St. Michael and the Devil (1958), displayed a spiritual gravity that balanced his earlier rebellion with profound humanism.
Sir Jacob Epstein’s relationship with Albert Einstein was one of mutual admiration between two great minds of the 20th century. Their encounter in 1933 resulted in the iconic bronze bust of Einstein, which is often regarded as one of Epstein’s masterpieces.
A lesser-known fact: Epstein often sculpted directly from life, using friends, lovers, and even strangers as models, leading to both admiration and gossip in London society. Alongside Einstein, Epstein also created iconic portraits of famous figures like Winston Churchill and even Joseph Conrad.
Beyond his art, Epstein led a life as colorful as his creations. He became a British citizen in 1911 and was knighted in 1954 by Queen Elizabeth II.
When Sir Jacob Epstein died in 1959, he left behind not only an extraordinary body of work but a redefined vision of what sculpture could be — raw, human, and unapologetically alive.
