Head of a Woman with Closed Eyes The Sleeper
Sculptor: Epstein, Jacob
Bronze, cast. Head of a woman, inclined slightly to the right side, eyes closed. Her hair is parted in the middle and drawn back over the top of her ears into a loose coil at the back of her head. On rectangular marble base.
History note: Purchased by the donor from Lady Epstein in January 1962.
Zoe Hadwen Bequest
Depth: 6.4 cm
Depth: 9.4 cm
Height: 16.2 cm
Width: 3.8 cm
Width: 6.3 cm
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1982) by Pleister, E. M. Julia, Miss
20th Century, third quarter#
1960s
Elizabeth II
Not before
1961-12-18
-
Not after
1962-01-31
'The Sleeper', perhaps the model, Nan Condron
Miss Pleister's copy of her initial letter to Lady Epstein mentions a 'plasticine' exhibited at the Tate Gallery
See correspondence between Miss Pleister and Lady Epstein, various dates from December, 1961 - February, 1962 and a further letter of 4th September, 1970. In the last of these she states that the head 'must be one of the rarest Epstein bronzes as the original plasticine mould was given to me after my husband's death. I had three casts made in bronze of which one was yours & another I gave to a very ill boy...I must remember to tell you that the small head was modelled in 1911 & I call it The Sleeper.' In the letter of 7th February, 1962 Lady Epstein agrees with Miss Pleister 'P.S. You are right about the resemblance to 'The Dreamer'. The model was Nan of whom there is a bust in the Tate Gallery, also by my husband...'
Head
composed of
bronze
Base
composed of
marble
Height 6.2 cm
Bronze
Height 10 cm
Casting (process) : Bronze, cast
Accession number: M.34-1982
Primary reference Number: 13410
External ID: CAM_CCF_M_34_1982
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Head of a Woman with Closed Eyes" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/13410 Accessed: 2024-12-22 14:14:48
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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/13410
|title=Head of a Woman with Closed Eyes
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-22 14:14:48|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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