Esther
- Artist: Sir Jacob Epstein
- Date: 1930
- Medium: Bronze
- Dimensions: object: 533 x 635 x 254 mm, 29.3 kg
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is “Esther” by Sir Jacob Epstein, created in 1930. The bronze bust captures a London nightclub performer who was also a professional artist’s model – a real-life muse for Epstein. He first shaped her in clay before casting the final piece, and you can see the artist’s fingers and tools still etched into the surface. The work measures about 21 by 25 by 10 centimetres, and the heavy, textured finish is a hallmark of Epstein’s style during this period when he produced over a hundred portraits. It was presented to the public by Howard Bliss in 1945, and several casts are in existence, with one having been displayed in a 2014–2015 collection based display called “Spaces of Black Modernism.” In its current setting, “Esther” offers a glimpse into the vibrant nightlife of 1930s London and the sculptor’s unflinching approach to portraiture.
See it in person
Esther is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
