THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Tuesday morning [February 1948]

Well – The first sitting went happily. Epstein¹ seems to work with intense concentration – R imitates him beautifully. This suits R – and now that the work has started he is keen to get it finished – and he is off this morning – alas by train – he returns at 2 – Epstein says 6 sittings – & perhaps 1 or 2 more at the end – The studio is on ground floor. There doesn’t seem much comfort – the stove is allowed to go out – on the other hand R needn’t keep still & could sit in his coat w^h I haved urged his doing.
It was lovely to have the Cherry Tree for break – R read it too “more polishing required” his verdict but he likes it & I like the last one particularly […]

AMVW

1.  Jacob Epstein, the sculptor. In a letter to UW in 1949 AVW remarks “A lovely letter from Ep: `I had not thought of a fee, but of course you will want to keep the bronze – I will  put the fee at £200 guineas – “. Epstein had been introduced by UW, who had wished to attend the sittings but had been discouraged from doing so by Adeline.