Theo Garman

Theodore was Epstein’s second child, but his first with Kathleen Garman. He was born in 1924 and lived with Kathleen and her sister Helen. He went to school in Chelsea and won a scholarship to Slade School in 1937. Kathleen devoted a lot of her time to Theo, but Epstein was not close to his son because they spent very little time together during Theo’s childhood. This changed, however, when Theo began to paint. He had his first exhibition in 1950 at the Redfern Gallery.

In the late 1940s Theo developed schizophrenia. He was hospitalised twice, and needed a great deal of practical domestic support, although his illness did not interfere with his ability to paint. In 1954 his mental health worsened considerably, and he died of acute heart failure during an attempt to forcibly admit him to hospital.