Sir Jacob Epstein (British, 1880-1959) First Portrait of Deirdre (with arms) signed 'Epstein' (to lower left back) bronze with a green patina 62cm (24 7/16in) high excluding base; 64.5cm (25 3/8in) high including base Conceived in 1941 Footnotes: Literature Jacob Epstein, Epstein: An Autobiography, Hulton, London, 1955, pp.126-127 (ill.b&w, another cast) Richard Buckle, Jacob Epstein Sculptor, Faber & Faber, London, 1963, p.264, pls.401-402 (ill.b&w, another cast) Edward P. Schinman and Barbara Ann Schinman (ed.), Jacob Epstein, A Catalogue of the Collection of Edward P. Schinman, Farleight Dickinson University Press, New Jersey, 1970, p.106 (ill.b&w, another cast) Evelyn Silber, The Sculpture of Epstein, Phaidon, Oxford, 1986, p.189, cat.no.314 (ill.b&w, another cast) The present lot depicts Deidre, a cook-house-keeper hired by the Epstein's at the beginning of the war. She was frequently called upon to pose as a model for Epstein. Deidre was reluctant to expose her naked body, and her shyness is immortalised in the three portraits the sculptor made of Deidre as she holds her arms in front of her body or keeps her shoulders inward as she leans forward. 'The First Portrait of Deidre (with arms) because of its graceful gesture, is the most rococo of the sculptor's works, and brings to mind certain Bavarian wood carvings of the mid-eighteenth century. The model's long curly hair tumbles onto her shoulders; her eyes look down, dreaming; a wistful half-smile flickers on her lips; and her slender arms are arrested in movement as if she were about to fold them over her breast' (Richard Buckle, Jacob Epstein Sculptor, Faber & Faber, London, 1963, p.264) This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: AR TP AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium. TP For auctions held in Scotland: Please refer to the catalogue and/or after-sale information or contact Edinburgh@Bonhams.com for more information. For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (The Packengers, Unit 9, Abbey Mead Industrial Park, Brooker Road, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1HU, England, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue and/or after-sale information, sent out to all buyers post-sale. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 10 calendar days from the auction date. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing