Augustus John

1 portrait

Photograph © National Portrait Gallery, London

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Augustus John

by Jacob Epstein
bronze bust, 1916
13 3/4 in. x 10 5/8 in. (350 mm x 270 mm) overall
Purchased, 1962
Primary Collection
NPG 4295

On display in Room 24 on Floor 2 at the National Portrait Gallery

Sitterback to top

  • Augustus Edwin John (1878-1961), Painter. Sitter in 106 portraits, Artist or producer associated with 33 portraits.

Artistback to top

  • Sir Jacob Epstein (1880-1959), Sculptor. Artist or producer of 15 portraits, Sitter in 71 portraits.

This portraitback to top

A rare cast of Epstein's 1916 bust. Epstein was the leading modernist sculptor of his day and a founder member of the London Group, which was founded in 1913 from the amalgamation of the Fitzroy Street Group and the Camden Town Group. Epstein said of this portrait: 'I wanted to capture a certain wildness, an untamed quality that is the essence of the man…'.

Linked publicationsback to top

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

Events of 1916back to top

Current affairs

As war drags on with heavy losses conscription is introduced with the Military Service Act. Conscientious objectors who refused to fight were compelled to do non-military war work, and some were jailed.
British Summer Time is introduced, putting the clocks forward an hour during the summer in order to capitalise on daylight hours.

Art and science

C. Hubert H. Parry sets William Blake's poem, Jerusalem, to music popularising the poem and tune as a patriotic English anthem. On hearing Edward Elgar's orchestrated version in 1922, King George V suggested that it replace God Save the King as the National Anthem.

International

The Irish Citizen Army starts a Nationalist rebellion in Dublin: The Easter Rising.
Massive losses are suffered on the Western Front at the battles of the Somme and Verdun.
The Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire (1916-18) led by Prince Faisal is assisted by T.E. Lawrence, who became known as Lawrence of Arabia.

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