Oscar Wilde's tomb 1914

Jacob Epstein carved Oscar Wilde's tomb with a directness that feels utterly modern, and a bit punk. The tomb’s surface is rough, you can almost feel Epstein hacking away at the stone, each cut a decisive act. It’s not smooth or polished, but raw, which feels right for Wilde, someone who lived outside the lines. And those wings, they are not feathery and soft but more like architectural slabs, stacked and solid, suggesting flight but also restriction, like the weight of expectations. Look at the face. It's serene, almost Asian-inspired, with a hint of defiance. The mouth is closed, but you sense a witty remark just waiting to be released. It reminds me of Brancusi, but with more edge, a blend of spirituality and rebellion. Epstein was a bit of an outsider himself, and his bold approach to form and subject matter challenged convention. His work, like Wilde’s, is about pushing boundaries, asking us to see the world differently, and embrace the beautiful contradictions of life.