Memorial for Oscar Wilde's grave in Paris – archive, 12 February 1912

12 February 1912: Jacob Epstein is commissioned to design a memorial for the Irish author’s tomb in Père Lachaise cemetery

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London, Sunday
A little more than two years ago, at the dinner to Mr Robert Ross on the publication of the complete edition of Oscar Wilde’s works, it was announced that an anonymous donor had given a considerable sum for the erection of a memorial to Wilde over his grave in Père Lachaise, Paris, and that Mr J Epstein had been commissioned to carry out the work. The greatest expectation was aroused, for although little of Mr Epstein’s work has been publicly exhibited its appearance has always roused strong admiration and fluent condemnation, and his new work has been looked forward to with keen curiosity, for sculpture in England has not shown many signs of the returning vitality that is evident in architecture and painting. The monument is now almost completed, and Mr Epstein on Saturday gave me the privilege of seeing it.

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