Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Arbuthnot Fisher (1841-1920), 1st Baron Fisher of Kilverstone

Plaster maquette, or version, of Epstein's bronze bust of Fisher commissioned by the Duchess of Hamilton in 1915. It shows him, head and torso with a flat base at lower-rib level (with a wooden support below), facing forward in full-dress uniform, decorations and ADC braid. Both the Duke of Hamilton and Lord Clifford of Chudleigh were noted (in 1981) as having bronze versions. The Imperial War Museum has a different, narrower version of 1919; also a related letter from Fisher to Epstein. Fisher was one of the greatest administrators in the history of the Navy and a driving force in its reform in many areas, especially its early 20th century 'big-ship' development and personnel training. Having started as a gunnery specialist and seen early service in the ironclad 'Warrior', he was instrumental in developing torpedoes. After serving in the 1882 Egyptian campaign and as head of the Portsmouth gunnery school he became Admiralty director of gunnery and torpedoes, 1886-90. He was subsequently third sea lord, commander-in-chief in North America and West Indies, and in the Mediterranean, before becoming second and then first sea lord. In this role he was instrumental in advocating and building the 'Dreadnought'-type battleships, introduced from 1906, and the King Edward VII class of 1909-10. He commanded the Channel Fleet in 1907 and became first sea lord again early in World War I, resigning in 1915 over the Dardanelles campaign, which he opposed. The Museum also has A. S. Cope's 1902 oil portrait of Fisher BHC2690.
Sir Jacob Epstein