Sleeping Baby

I should be quite content to ... do only children ... to fill my studio with children ... just born ... children growing up

Epstein was born in New York but settled in the UK in 1905 with a letter of introduction from Rodin. In Paris the year before he had been based near Bourdelle's studio and it is here that the Sleeping Baby, an early bronze, was created. We see Epstein's realism in the plump features of the baby, compared to the stylization inspired by the world sculpture that he collected. Birth, fertility and the life force were recurring themes in Epstein's art.

N2983[h] (image/tiff)
Acknowledgement: © Bristol Culture, courtesy of the Estate of Sir Jacob Epstein / Tate Images Acknowledgement: © Bristol Culture, courtesy of the Estate of Sir Jacob Epstein / Tate Images Acknowledgement: © Bristol Culture, courtesy of the Estate of Sir Jacob Epstein / Tate Images Acknowledgement: © Bristol Culture, courtesy of the Estate of Sir Jacob Epstein / Tate Images Acknowledgement: © Bristol Culture, courtesy of the Estate of Sir Jacob Epstein / Tate Images Acknowledgement: © Bristol Culture, courtesy of the Estate of Sir Jacob Epstein / Tate Images Acknowledgement: © Bristol Culture, courtesy of the Estate of Sir Jacob Epstein / Tate Images Acknowledgement: © Bristol Culture, courtesy of the Estate of Sir Jacob Epstein / Tate Images Acknowledgement: © Bristol Culture, courtesy of the Estate of Sir Jacob Epstein / Tate Images

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Summary

: N2983

: Fine Art

: sculpture

: Sleeping Baby

: EPSTEIN, Sir Jacob

: a bronze sculpture of a baby's head mounted on a wooden block; the subject was the child of a studio model when Epstein was training and living in Paris between 1902 and 1904; it is believed to be one of the earliest surviving bronzes by the artist, and is a pair with 'Baby Awake' in the collection of The New Art Gallery, Walsall (object number 1973.083.GR)

Sleeping Baby

Current Location

This object is in store, please contact the Museum to arrange to see the object.

: 1902-1904

: 1902-1904

: Bequest of F P M Schiller, 1946

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