Sculpture name: Torso in Metal from Rock Drill

Artist: Jacob Epstein

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Sir Jacob Epstein KBE was an American-British sculptor who helped pioneer modern sculpture. He was born in the United States, and moved to Europe in 1902, becoming a British subject in 1911. He often produced controversial works which challenged ideas on what was appropriate subject matter for public artworks. Wikipedia

Born: 10 November 1880, New York, New York, United States

Died: 19 August 1959, Kensington, London

Children: Kitty Garman, Theodore Garman, Esther Garman

Spouse: Kathleen Garman (m. 1955–1959), Margaret Epstein (m. 1906–1947)

Grandchildren: Annie Freud, Annabel Freud, Eve Godley

Parents: Max Epstein, Mary Epstein

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Created: between 1913-14-15

Material and Techniques: Bronze

Dimensions: 705 × 584 × 445 mm

Location: Tate Britain, London, UK

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COLLECTION

Tate

ACQUISITION

Purchased 1960

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Photography credit 1️⃣ZebraPhotography

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Writing in 1940, Epstein described this sculpture as ‘a machine-like robot, visored, menacing’. He originally set a plaster figure on top of a real industrial rock drill as a symbol of the machine age. Epstein’s attitude to machines changed as the mechanised warfare of the First World War caused vast numbers of casualties. After it was first exhibited in 1915, he removed the drill and cut the figure down at the waist. The left hand and right arm were taken off. It was then cast in bronze. The once-threatening figure appears vulnerable, more a victim than a perpetrator of violence.

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Gallery label, October 2020