Joshua Epstein (1903—1985) was born in 1903 in a part of Poland that is now considered Russia. His family emigrated to the US in 1905, when he was two years old, passing through Ellis Island and settling in Salem, Massachusetts. Although his father went from being a important religious figure in Poland to a “peddler” in Salem, as Joshua would later say, he and his two brothers all became doctors. Brother Nathan was Associate Clinical Professor at Cornell Medical School and his brother Carl was a psychiatrist at the Menninger Clinic. Joshua was a prodigy, graduating from Harvard at 18 years of age and then later graduating from Tufts Medical School at twenty two. Because he was apparently too young to practice medicine, he went to Paris for a year and he often spoke about the profound influence that trip had upon him. He was an ophthalmologist for his entire career at New York Eye and Ear Hospital as well as having his own medical practice. He retired practicing eye surgery at 50 years old. He became assistant Chief of Service at NYEE and was later offered the Chief of Service position but turned it down. We can only surmise the reason but perhaps it took too much time away from family and painting. In his medical practice, located on 19th Street and Fifth Avenue, he served as a general practitioner, including doing minor surgery on walk-in patients from surrounding factories.
Although he had an illustrious medical career, being an artist was what was drove him. Joshua was a prolific painter. He spent many hours going to museums and looking at art. His influence from impressionism is obvious and yet his interpretation of it is solely his own. Joshua started taking classes at the Art Student’s League in NYC around 1930, where he studied under Will Barnet. It was here that he probably met Mary Sinclair, his second wife. Mary had children by ex-husband Will Barnet and Joshua had one child by a previous marriage. They married in the early 1950’s. Mary was also a painter so the couple had many artists friends. Joshua provided free medical care to his friends when they needed it. He was a charitable and caring individual. He also afforded to send all of his children to college because he deemed it so important. The couple lived in Union City, New Jersey and Joshua visited Interstate Park set on the Hudson River Palisades on the weekends and painted. Many of Joshua’s paintings are of this park and the surrounding areas of Union City and the Hudson River. He was a disciplined artist. Despite a demanding medical practice, his weekends were framed around his artwork – drawing on Saturday and painting on Sunday, always with classical music (most often Bach) playing in the background. His paintings are peaceful, often cheerful but sometimes lonely, and full of symbolism. His staccato brush stroke provides movement but its repetition creates a rhythm that creates a certain calm.
Joshua had many shows and sold work at various galleries, unfortunately many of the galleries are now gone and it is difficult to put together a biography of all the exhibits. However, he had a two-person show with son Richard Barnet at the Carl Ashby gallery. And also exhibited at The Educational Alliance on the Lower East Side with Mary Sinclair. Joshua is survived by his children, grandchildren, and great-grand-children, both those who carry on his biological bloodline and those who carry on in some part because he cared for them, he nurtured them emotionally, intellectually, artistically, and financially; including by demonstrating to all of them that in a long, busy, and good life it is possible to do many things well. Among his descendants both biological and spiritual are many teachers, artists, a poet, musicians, a lawyer, an engineer-mathematician, two physicians, a nurse, and an equestrian, sailors, many parents and grandparents, many students and more, and more to come!
For many decades Joshua Epstein and Mary Sinclair created a home that was inclusive and welcoming to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (both “actual” and “adopted”). It was a home that also welcomed a wide array of visitors, guests, and animals. It is safe to say that almost everyone who met Joshua was struck by his quick intelligence, humor, and warmth; and also by his very wide range of interests, including politics, economics, history, fiction, poetry, music, and of course visual arts. No one loved New York City more than Joshua; he rarely missed a day being in “the city”. It was here that he felt the pulse of the art world. He was an avid reader and particularly loved reading Shakespeare and American history. Part of his interest in politics and economics was connected with his (mainly!) successful stock market investments and transactions that (in addition to his income as a physician) helped him support and educate his extended family. It was hardly possible to be around Joshua—“Joe”, or “Doctor Joe” as many called him—without learning that it is a very good idea to be continually— both a teacher and a student.
Family Photos (click on the image to view the full image)
Portraits of Joshua by Richard Barnet (click on the image to view the full image)
