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Sir Jacob Epstein (1880-1959)
Portrait bust of ‘Tiger King’, Man of Aran
Bronze, 50cm high (20”) including base
Dated 1934
Provenance: Sotheby’s Sale, June 1977 where purchased by current
owners.
The documentary film, Man of Aran, made by Robert Flaherty between 1932 and 1934, featured Aran is-
landers rather than trained actors. Colman King, otherwise known as ‘Tiger King’, a blacksmith, fisherman,
and currach builder on the islands, was chosen by Flaherty for the male lead owing to his extraordinary phy-
sique and ruggedly handsome features. He starred alongside islanders Maggie Dirrane and Michael Dillane,
who played his wife and son. In December 1933 the entire cast decamped to London where they spent nine
weeks working on the sound track for the film.They returned again for the launch of the film a few months
later. Flaherty made sure that Man of Aran was well advertised before its release; events included installing
a stuffed shark on the roof of Selfridges store in London in May 1934.There were window displays in shops
and cinemas featuring entire scenes from the film including currachs, nets, and life-size figures of the stars
dressed in traditional Aran clothing. The cast were photographed viewing these displays, and at every pub-
lic event they could possibly attend, from shopping sprees, to fashion shows and prize-giving ceremonies.
Whether Jacob Epstein saw ‘Tiger King’ in press photographs, or met him at an event to advertise the film
is not clear. But according to The Irish Press at the time, the artist was so inspired by ‘Tiger’s’ weather-worn
features that he asked him to model for a portrait bust. For Colman King, new to the world of stardom, mod-
elling for Epstein must have been yet another extraordinary experience. Highly regarded for his innate ability
to convey the character and temperament of his sitters, the artist’s desire to depict ‘Tiger King’ was very good
for Flaherty, and for press coverage of the film.
Four known casts of
Tiger King
exist out of an edition of six. One was shown in an exhibition of Epstein’s
work at the Victor Waddington Galleries, Dublin, in 1948 (now in a private collection Dublin) at which time
a reviewer for The Irish Press described it as ‘a remarkable synthesis of the western seaboard type’ replete with
‘striking quality.’ Fifteen of Epstein’s sculptures, including
Tiger King
, were shown in the Little Theatre in
Brown Thomas’s, Grafton Street, in 1955. The portrait received a special mention from the reviewer for the
Irish Times for its ‘imperious arrogance.’ That version of
Tiger King
was purchased by the Friends of the Na-
tional Collections of Ireland, exhibited in the Municipal Gallery in Waterford in 1955, and eventually gifted
to the Municipal Gallery, Dublin (now the Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane).The second
Tiger King
is
in the collection of the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, and the fourth, from a private collection, is featured in
this catalogue. According to the Tate Gallery, London, Epstein was highly regarded for his modernist work,
truth to material, and his inspiration from Primitive art, all of which is evident in
Tiger King
.The artist was
knighted in 1954 and died in London in 1959. His portrait of ‘
Tiger King’
, replete with hope, and abounding
in quality, is symbolic of an important moment in Irish cultural history.
Dr Éimear O’Connor HRHA
Research Associate
TRIARC-Irish Art Research Centre
Trinity College Dublin
October 2014
€4,000 - 6,000