Brave Fine Art has dated this piece to the 1920s.
Story
Imagine you’re Brockhurst, just four years after World War I. Society has altered and you’re seeking to express something greater than simply a likeness alone.
You seek inspiration from another time of great artistic renewal, the Italian Renaissance, and depict your subjects as new ‘old masters’.
Context
Throughout his career, Brockhurst was captivated by the various females within his life - besotted by their enigma - until catching the attention of another. Details of this particular woman are unclear but he depicts her with sensitivity as if he knew her well.
The etching was shown at various exhibitions throughout the 1920s including the 'Modern Masters of Etching' at the Leicester Galleries. The press reported:
“The artists are British and Continental. The home team includes Augustus John RA, Richard Sickert ARA, Brockhurst, Nevinson, and Mrs Laura Knight ARA. And Picasso, Laboureur, Forain, Segonzac and Besnard are among the visitors.”
Illustrations from the period show him as quite a plain-looking gentleman, yet under the surface, he courted controversy and emotional turbulence. Perhaps he remains an apt metaphor for the ‘jazz age’ in general.
Learn more about Gerald Leslie Brockhurst in our directory.
Medium: Etching on paper
Overall size: 13” x 14½” / 33cm x 37cm
Year of creation: 1921
Frame: Contemporary, glazed.
Signature: Lower right, pencil.
Condition: Artwork presents well.
Artist Training: Royal Academy Schools and alongside Augustus John.
Academy Memberships: Royal Academy
Public Collections: Royal Academy, Tate, British Museum, Met Museum, National Portrait Gallery, among others.
Artist’s auction maximum: £140,000
Brave Fine Art has dated this piece to the 1920s.
Exquisite antique paintings that capture the imagination.
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Gerald Leslie Brockhurst, Nadia - Antique Etching
