Jawaharlal Nehru
- Artist: Sir Jacob Epstein
- Date: 1948
- Medium: bronze
- Dimensions: 15 in. x 16 1/2 in. (380 mm x 420 mm) overall
- Portrays: Jawaharlal Nehru
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
In front of you is a bronze bust of Jawaharlal Nehru, created in 1948 by sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein. The piece measures just over a foot tall, with the head slightly turned toward the viewer, revealing fine detail: a subtle furrow between his brows and the gentle curve of his lips. Epstein cast this work while Nehru was visiting England for a Commonwealth conference; in that mood he described it as a “sombre portrait” reflecting the weight of office after Gandhi’s assassination.
Nehru—born in British India, educated in England, then a barrister before returning to India in 1912—rose through the independence movement and became the nation’s first prime minister when India won freedom in 1947. He held that post for sixteen years, shaping social and economic reforms that still echo today.
See it in person
Jawaharlal Nehru is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
