Gerald Leslie Brockhurst Art

Oliver St. John Gogarty. 1935. Etching. Fletcher 78. 6 7/8 x 5 1/2 (sheet 11 1/4 x 8 3/8). Edition 100. 75 intended for the Cuala Press, Dublin. A rich impression, printed on cream-...

This superb British realist portrait oil painting is by noted artist Gerald Leslie Brockhurst. It was painted in 1952 when Brockhurst was in his sixties and living in America since 1939. The sitter is Hope G. Simpson. The painting is a half length portrait of a striking blonde woman in a blue buttoned up Chinese style garment. It is a strong portrait with bold colours and confident brushwork and an excellent example of his work. Signed and dated 1952 lower right. Provenance. Hiram Hoelzer New York label verso. Portraits Inc. East Street new York. Label verso. Condition. Oil on canvas, 30 inches by 25 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in its original wooded frame, 37 inches by 32 inches and in good condition. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (1890-1978) was a British painter and etcher. Brockhurst was born in the Edgbaston district of Birmingham on 31 October 1890, son of a coal merchant called Arthur Brockhurst, he soon showed precocious drawing skills and entered the Birmingham School of Art at the age of twelve. A pupil at the Royal Academy Schools in 1907, he won the gold medal and a travelling scholarship in 1913, enabling him to visit both France and Italy. This led to a closer study of such 15th-century artists as Piero della Francesca, Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci, whose work had an abiding influence on him. In 1914 he married for the first time to a Frenchwoman, Anaïs Folin, whom he used as the model for most of his early etchings of young womanhood (especially from 1920 till 1934). From 1915 to 1919 Brockhurst and his wife Anaïs lived in Ireland, where they were friendly with the artist Augustus John and his circle. Though he tried his hand at etching in 1914, it was not until 1920 that he began his career as an etcher in earnest, eventually achieving success as both a printmaker and society portraitist. Brockhurst held his first important exhibition in 1919, in London, and after it was well received returned to live there. In 1921 he was one of the early members of the newly-formed Society of Graphic Art and exhibited with them. Throughout the 1930s he continued an increasingly successful career as a portrait artist, with notable sitters including the film stars Merle Oberon and Marlene Dietrich, as well as the Duchess of Windsor, whose husband commissioned her portrait. In 1937 Brockhurst was elected to the Royal Academy and was able to command a price of 1,000 guineas for a portrait. In the same year however details of his relationship with his young model Kathleen Woodward, whom he had renamed Dorette, were made public after she gave an interview to the Sunday Express. Brockhurst's marriage had previously come under strain in 1922 when his wife discovered his adultery with her sister, Marguerite, and now broke down acrimoniously, with Brockhurst counter-suing on the grounds of his wife's adultery. In August 1939 Brockhurst and Dorette moved to the United States, and he was eventually divorced from his first wife in 1940. He married Kathleen in 1947. In New York City, Brockhurst became both famous and rich with a series of society portraits but his printmaking output diminished, especially his etchings. He produced a few lithographs at the end of his career (around 1945). In 1951, he was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate member. In 1958, he appeared as a guest challenger on the TV panel...

Adolescence. (Kathleen Nancy Woodward). 1932. Etching. Fletcher 75 state vi. Image: 14 3/8 x 10 7/16 (sheet 16 3/8 x 12 1/4. Total edition 91). Illustrated: Guichard, British Etchers...

Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (1890-1978) The Ideal Head (Portrait of Fabian) • Probably a Lithograph, sheet ca. 58 x 44 cm (v. thick paper/thin card) • Plate size ca. 41 x 31 cm • Imag...

Gerald Leslie Brockhurst 1890 – 1978 Portrait of Marguerite Folin Oil on panel, signed lower right Image size: 18 x 14 inches (45.7 x 34.3 cm) Original frame The sitter for this po...

Etching on cream wove paper. 6 5/16 x 3 3/4 inches (159 x 94 mm), full margin. Signed in pencil lower center margin, from the edition of 111. A well inked impression with a minor cre...

Artist: Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (English, 1890-1978) Title: "James McBey" *Signed by Brockhurst in pencil lower right. It is also signed, dated, and titled in the plate (printed si...

Chiquita. 1923-4. Etching. Fletcher 44. 6 3/8 x 5 5/16 (sheet 11 x 8 3/4). Edition 76 (total 81 impressions). A dramatic impression with subtle plate tone, printed on cream wove pape...

Pencil on paper Signed 'G.L. Brockhurst’ (lower right) Drawn c.1920 Collections: The Fine Art Society, London, 1981; Mr & Mrs Alan Fortunoff, acquired from the above; Private col...

Amanda No. 1 (Marguèrite). 1920. Etching. Fletcher 18. 3 1/2 x 2 3/8 (sheet 9 x 7 1/4). Edition 55. . A rich proof printed with plate tone on cream laid paper with full margins. Sign...

This elegant etching titled the gilded youth is of the second wife of the artist The edition is 75 and is referenced as Fletcher #80 Gerald Brockhurst is best known for his portrai...

Una (The Young Creole). 1929. Etching. Fletcher 65 catalog iv/x. Image: 8 1/2 x 6 1/4 (sheet 15 3/8 x 10 1/4). Edition of 3 in this state (total 140 impressions). A very rich impress...

The Basque Boy also called Boy with Beret and Fabian. 1944. Lithograph. Fletcher Lithographs 3.ii. zinc plate. 13 x 10 1/4 (sheet 7 1/8 x 13 7/8). Edition 10. Printed on countermarke...

Gerald Brockhurst (1890-1978) Pencil Signed Etching "Fabian" c.1921 Fine etching by noted artist Gerald Brockhurst. Titled "Fabian" from an edition of 76. This etching is in excel...

Dorette (Kathleen Nancy Woodward). .v/vii. 9 1/8 x 7 1/4 (sheet 14 3/8 x 10 1/8). Trial proof 5, prior to the published edition of 100 (111 proofs in all). Illustrated: Fine Prints o...

Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (British/American, 1890-1978) In the Circle of the liberal Arts After Alessandro Botticelli's Fresco: ' A Young Man being introduced to the Seven Liberal Arts ' • Water colour on paper mounted behind old stained mount, this one then laid under a modern clean mount and presented in an antique glased...

The Black Silk Dress. 1927. Etching. Fletcher catalog 58 state .ix (published state). 8 3/4 x 6 1/4 (sheet 14 1/2 x 9 1/8). Edition 76 in this state; total 111 proofs). Exhibited at...

Jeunesse Doree. Fletcher 80. 10 7/8 x 8 7/8. Edition 75 in this state (there was also 1 trial and 4 proofs in state I; 2 trials and 2 proofs in state II; and 2 proofs of state 3, p...

L'Eventail (Anaïs) also called The Fan. 1921. Etching. Fletcher 22. Final state. 6 3/8 x 4 7/16 (sheet 11 1/2 x 9 1/4). Edition 76. An extremely rich, tonal impression printed on cr...

Fletcher 6 state .ix. 10 1/2 x 7 1/2 (sheet 14 7/8 x 11 3/8). Edition 111. A rich impression printed on cream wove paper with full margins. Excellent condition. Illustrated: Fine ...

Le Beguin (Anaïs). 1922. Etching. Fletcher catalog 33 state iii./iv (before cancellation). 5 1/2 x 4 5/16 (sheet 11 1/2 x 8 13/16). Edition 76. Illustrated: Print Collector's Quarter...

Gerald Brockhurst (1890-1978) Etching "Anais" c.1930 Very fine etching by listed English / American artist Gerald Brockhurst. Title "Anais" Pencil signed - From an edition of 55. ...

The Dancer (Anaïs). 1925. Etching. Fletcher catalog 52 state viii. 9 3/4 x 6 1/16 (sheet 14 1/4 x 10 1/2). Edition 107. An extremely rich proof printed on cream 'MADE IN ENGLAND' c...

The Two Mélisandes. 1928. Etching. Fletcher 60. 5 3/4 x 3 1/2 (sheet 10 1/2 x 7 1/2). Edition size not stated. Illustrated: Fine Prints of the Year, 1928; Salaman, Modern Masters of ...

Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (1891-1978), The Dancer (Anais), 1925, etching, signed lower right and dedicated by the artist (to F.L. Berry, Esq.) lower left [also signed and dated in reverse in the plate lower left]. Reference: Fletcher 52, seventh state (of 7). From the edition of 107. In good condition, with slightest toning, with full margins and as issued and (not archivally) matted, 9 1/4 x 5 1/2, the sheet 15 3/8 x 9 3/8 inches. Provenance: F. L. Berry (not in Lugt, see note below) Roddy Willis has graciously provided an extensive background note on this provenance, which I quote from with permission: “Francis Berry...

Geneviève (Anaïs). 1922. Etching. Fletcher catalog 30 state vi/ix. 7 3/4 x 5 7/8 (sheet 11 1/2 x 9 1/4). Only 2 impressions in this state (total 92 impressions). Exhibited at the R....

Une Dacquoise. (Anaïs) (A Woman from Dax (Landes).) 1922. Etching. Fletcher catalog 29 state iii. 6 3/8 x 4 1/2 (sheet 11 1/2 x 9 1/8). Edition 76. A rich impression printed on crea...

Gerald Brockhurst (1890-1978), A Galway Peasant (also, An Irish Peasant), etching, 1920, signed in pencil lower right. Reference: Fletcher 10, from the edition of 55, third state (of...

Study for a Decoration (Marguérite). 1926. Etching. Fletcher catalog 46 state ii/iii. 6 7/8 x 5 (sheet 11 3/16 x 9 1/16). 5 proofs in this state (total 76 proofs). Illustrated: Salam...

Etching, 1920 Signed in pencil Edition: 110 examples Very fine condition Provenance: Colnaghi, London (stock numbers on reverse) The artist'w widow, Dorette, 1998 This image is influenced by English Pre-Raphaelite artists. Brockhurst was a close friend of the painter Augustus...

An Old Corsican. 1921. Etching. Fletcher 27. 6 5/16 x 4 9/16 (11 1/2 x 9 3/8). Edition 76. A beautiful, rich impression with plate tone, printed on 'J. Whatman' laid paper on the ful...

Noémie (Marguérite). 1926. Etching. Fletcher catalog 57 state vi 7 1/8 x 4 3/16 (sheet 10 15/16 x 8 7/16). Edition 111 in this state (total 132 impressions). A fine impression print...

Anaïs No. 2. 1930. Etching. Fletcher 67. 8 7/8 x 6 3/4 (Sheet 15 x 11). Edition 111. An extremely rich proof printed on cream wove paper, on the full sheet with deckle edges. Anaïs F...

A Self Portrait. c. 1932. Ink drawing on wove paper. 3 1/2 x 2 1/4 (sheet 10 x 7). Provenance: the artist's daughter. Unsigned. A unique silhouette housed in an archival French doubl...

Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (1890-1978), James McBey, etching, 1931, signed in pencil lower right [also signed in the plate, in reverse, lower right just under the borderline, and title...

Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (1891-1978), Una (Portrait of a Creole Lady), etching, 1929, signed in pencil lower right, and also inscribed by the artist: “2nd State, GB”. Reference: Flet...

Gerald Brockhurst, L’Eventail (The Fan), etching, 1926, signed in pencil, from the edition of 76. Reference: Fletcher 22, Wright 22. In good condition, on cream laid paper with margins (a thin spot inherent in paper lower margin near edge), the matrix pristine, archival matting. A fine impression of this small but impressive demonstration of Brockhurst’s mastery of etching. The woman carrying the fan is of course Brockhurst’s favorite model, at least at this time, his wife Anais. She wears an embroidered coat which allows Brockhurst to display his capacity to capture complex textures with the etching needle – much as his predecessor Wenzel Hollar used women’s furs...

Fabian (The Ideal Head). 1921. Etching. Fletcher catalog 23 state ii/iii. 7 x 5 (sheet 11 5/8 x 9 7/16).Edition 76 (total 90 impressions).Exhibited at the R.E., 1921. llustrated: Pr...

Elisabeth (Anaïs) also called The London Caster Girl. 1922. Etching. Fletcher catalog 32 state x. 5 5/8 x 4 1/4 (sheet 11 1/2 x 9). Edition 76 (total 94 impressions). A rich impress...

Marquett. 1925. Etching. Fletcher 51. 8 7/16 x 6 7/8 (sheet 12 13/16 x 8 7/8). Trial proof, apart from the edition of 106 (total 113 impressions). A rich impression, printed on cream...