Other Articles NEWS Arts Events Worldwide Epstein’s Rima: ‘A Travesty of Nature’
Epstein’s Rima: ‘A Travesty of Nature’
- Details
- Written by Arts Newsdesk
A new exhibition entitled Epstein’s Rima: 'A Travesty of Nature' opens at The New Art Gallery Walsall, northwest England (4 February-2 June 2012), writes Sajid Rizvi.
Displaying a selection of drawings from the Henry Moore Institute Archive in Leeds, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to explore Jacob Epstein’s creative imagination, as well as delving into the extreme controversy that surrounded his work, says the gallery.
Shortly after the death of the popular writer William Henry Hudson (1841-1922), Epstein was commissioned to design a memorial to be erected in Hyde Park, London. The carving was to depict Rima, the half-wild, ‘mysterious woodland girl’ from Hudson’s novel Green Mansions (1904). At the time, Epstein was well established as a portrait sculptor but his previous large-scale public sculptures had received harsh criticism and he was perceived as a rebel artist.
Epstein’s designs are recorded in a unique 56-page sketchbook that was circulated amongst the Memorial Committee in 1923, but has remained virtually unknown to a wider public. Described as a frenzied outpouring of ideas, the sketchbook is unparalleled in Epstein’s career. The images not only reveal Epstein’s enthusiasm for the project, but also the excitement that exploring the sculptural possibilities of Hudson’s half-wild ‘mysterious woodland girl’ roused in him.
Epstein’s Rima also provides an opportunity to explore the intense controversy that Epstein’s work caused. The Hudson Memorial which still stands in London’s Hyde Park, is undoubtedly Epstein’s most notorious sculpture. It was unveiled by the Prime Minister on 19 May 1925. In front of a large crowd, Mr. Baldwin praised Hudson for awakening the public to the beauties of nature before drawing back the curtain. Epstein said he would never forget the look on the Prime Minister’s face and the ‘gasp of horror’ that was emitted by the spectators as the sculpture was revealed. Expecting Hudson’s Rima, the physical and spiritual embodiment of beauty, they were shocked to see what appeared to be a crudely carved and unnaturalistic figure of a distorted nude girl surrounded by monstrous birds.
Epstein and the media
The campaign took a more sinister turn, however, when the media began criticising the carving on political and racial grounds. The press scapegoated Rima as an ‘expression in stone of the spirit of anarchy’ and Rima’s unnaturalistic appearance was attributed to Epstein’s Jewish heritage.
"Mr. Epstein’s nightmare in stone," wrote the Morning Post on 28 November 1925, branding it "the most famous example of a great sculpture who has sold his soul to the devil."
"The controvesy on the hudson memorial suggests the need of a sanctuary for sculptors in some secluded spot," wrote the Punch earlier on 3 June 1925.
It’s hard to imagine that a sculpture could create such controversy but it was not until relatively recently, that Rima was finally recognised as a masterpiece of twentieth-century sculpture. Epstein was deeply troubled by the uproar, but he remained true to his vision and unrepentant. He was reported to have visited Rima from time to time, wondering what all the fuss was about.
Meanwhile, speculation lingers over Hudson's choice of the name Rima, which is also a popular Arabic name, in his tale of South American fantasy wherein he cites a 'Spanish' connection.
The New Art Gallery is run and maintained by Walsall Council and receives support from Arts Council England.
More on the life and work of Jacob Epstein is available at the Garman Ryan Collection and the Art Library on the mezzanine floor of The New Art Gallery Walsall.
Related events: In Conversation, Saturday 26 May, 2pm. Curator Elin Morgan talks about Epstein’s Rima: the design process and the controversy it caused. Please reserve your free place in advance by asking at reception on the ground floor or by calling 01922654400.
Epstein’s Rima: 'A Travesty of Nature,' 4 February-2 June 2012. The New Art Gallery Walsall, England. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. Closed Mondays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Free admission.
Ever been to Walsall?
Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component of the West Midlands conurbation, is part of the Black Country and lies northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton.
Walsall is heavily industrial, but deeply historic.
Walsall's name is thought to have derived from the Celtic walh halh or valley of the Celtic speakers. But it was originally known as Walesho in a document dated 1002. It would have been included in the Domesday Book, but wasn't, probably due to a clerical error, while settlements such as Aldridge, Bescot, Shelfield, Pelsall, Bloxwich, Great Barr and Rushall did get the mention.
When Queen Elizabeth I visited the area it was known as Walshale.
