Sir Jacob Epstein (1880-1959)

The architect Louis Osman was working on the buildings in Cavendish Square, London, occupied by the Convent of the Holy Child Jesus when he commissioned Epstein to 'prepare a maquette ... The maquette was produced within a week and approved by the nuns without the sculptor's name being disclosed'. Once the nuns discovered it was Epstein a crisis developed. The nuns were alarmed at the choice of Epstein and refused to approve the sculpture. At this stage, the head of the Madonna was based on Epstein's then mistress, Kathleen Garman. Once the model for the head had been changed and Epstein 'had been called before the community and catechized on his attitude to the work ... the nuns gave their final approval to the scheme' (see E. Silber, The Sculpture of Epstein, Oxford, 1986, p. 209).