Customer Reviews

Demons and Angels: A Life of Jacob Epstein

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I had high expectations for this book on master sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein as it was coming from the author of one of my favourite books, a biography of artist Suzanne Valadon. Sadly, it is a great disappointment. It seems a very sketchy biography at best, covering ground that has been previously explored by former Epstein biographers and presenting no new discoveries of its own. There are also major flaws in showing Epstein's humourous side such as his bizarre encounter with the eccentric Marchesa Casati. Casati is not mentioned at all, even though her bust is one of Epstein's masterpieces. Also, author June Rose completely leaves out any mention of the scandal that followed Epstein's death when castings were made of many of the artist's best works and sold as Epstein originals. Additionally, the illustrations are a badly selected lot, with not even a single photograph of the sculptor's spectacular tomb for Oscar Wilde in Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris. For the definitive biography of Epstein please read Stephen Gardiner's "Epstein: Artist Against the Establishment" or Epstein's own wonderful autobiography "Let There Be Sculpture". After such excellent work as the aforementioned biography of Valadon and her volume on Modigliani, I sincerely hope that Ms. Rose's next book returns her to the top of her form.

This book repeats without permission without proper attribution of original material found in my book THE EPSTEINS A FAMILY ALBUM published in London in 1984