John Gielgud

Details

Sir Jacob Epstein (1880-1959)
John Gielgud
bronze with a dark brown patina
15 in. (38.1 cm.) high, excluding slate base
Conceived in 1933.

Literature

R. Black, The Art of Jacob Epstein, New York, 1942, p. 139, no. 184, another cast illustrated.
R. Buckle, Jacob Epstein Sculptor, London, 1963, p. 204, pl. 315, another cast illustrated.
E. Silber, The Sculpture of Epstein, Oxford, 1986, p. 174, no. 235, another cast illustrated.

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Lot Essay

The present work was commissioned from the artist by an admirer of the actor. A bust of Gielgud by Epstein was conceived in 1932.

According to family records, the present cast was exhibited at Wakefield, 1936; Hereford, 1937; Gateshead, 1938 and Leeds, 1957.

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