White roses

Epstein had held an exhibition of his flower watercolours at Tooths, London, in 1933, and at the Redfern Gallery, London, in 1933 and 1935. The success of these exhibitions led Tooths to suggest Epstein painted more flower studies, and the artist threw himself into these, 'I lived and painted flowers. My rooms were piled with flowers, and this was a wonderful and colourful period' (see J. Epstein, Let There Be Sculpture, London, 1940, p. 145).