25th Apr, 2023 10:00
Modern and Contemporary Art
144
▲ 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.
Take advantage of our Sworders Delivery Service. Please see 'Shipping estimate' below.
Sold for £800
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.
IN PERSON
To bid in person at auction for the first time please register for a bidding paddle in advance by filling out and submitting a registration form at our front desk. When registering in person we require photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence.
ABSENTEE BIDDING
If you cannot attend the auction in person we can bid on your behalf. You can leave an absentee bid on our website.
The amount you bid should be your maximum bid. We will bid up to that limit for you, and remember you may end up paying less than your limit, depending on other bidding on the day.
You can leave an absentee bid up to half an hour before the start of any sale. Please note when we receive two or more absentee bids for the same amount, the first bid received will be the one taken.
LEAVE COMMISSION BIDS ONLINE
If you would like to leave a commission bid on our website you can do so up until 30 minutes before the sale starts. Leaving a commission bid through sworder.co.uk is free for all registered clients. Thereafter you may register bank card details under your account in order to bid live. Click here to register an account.
BID LIVE ON sworder.co.uk
You can bid live at our auctions from the comfort of your home or office using bidding platform Sworders Live. It is easy to register and you can watch the auction live as it happens. A 'Bid Live' button will appear on the auction on our website homepage when a sale is live; simply click the button to sign in or register with your card details. There is no additional charge for this service.
For further instructions on registering to bid live, please click here.
TELEPHONE BIDDING
If you would like to bid by telephone please contact our team prior to the auction with your details of the lots you are interested in and your full name, address, telephone number(s) and email address. Once our team have entered your bid request you will receive an email confirmation. We will contact you during the sale and one of our team will bid live with you over the phone.
Please note that we normally offer this service for lots with an estimate of £500 or higher and all telephone bid requests must be received by close of business the day before the auction.
Auction: Modern and Contemporary Art, 25th Apr, 2023
Viewing
HIGHLIGHTS
A selection of lots will be on view 25 March - 13 April (closed 7-10 April) at our London Gallery, 15 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ, as follows:
Mon-Fri, 11am - 5.30pm
Sat, 1pm - 5pm
Sun - Closed
For more information, please contact 0203 971 2500 | london@sworder.co.uk
VIEWING
Viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Fri 21 April, 10am - 5pm
Sun 23 April, 10am - 1pm
Mon 24 April, 10am - 5pm
All lots are, however, extensively illustrated and carry detailed condition reports - see 'Condition report' at the foot of each lot description.
Please select the shipping destination;
Buying a pre-loved, antique, or vintage item not only provides you with unique style and value for money but it also helps to reduce landfill, and the annual emissions of an antique or vintage piece can be as little as one sixteenth of those of its new equivalent!
Sworders is proud to be supporting the work of Antiques are Green - the movement that was founded in 2009 to promote “a greener future created from the past”. Read their fascinating carbon footprint study of a Georgian chest of drawers versus a modern equivalent here
Request A Valuation
Here at Sworders, we are happy to offer a free online valuation service. Please fill out the form and press the 'Submit' button below.
To help us with your valuation please attach clear photographs of the item where possible. You can submit up to 5.
Approximate dimensions are also useful. Expect to hear from the appropriate valuer as soon as possible.
