Gerald Brockhurst
Encyclopedia
Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (October 31, 1890 – May 4, 1978) was an English
painter
and etcher.
During the 1930s and 1940s he was celebrated as a portrait
ist, painting society figures such as Marlene Dietrich
and the Duchess of Windsor. Today he is best known for his small etched prints
of beautiful, idealized women - many of them modelled by his first and second wives.
at the age of twelve and soon showed uncanny drawing skills. At the Royal Academy Schools he won the gold medal
and scholarship
in 1913.
Though he tried his hand at etching in 1914 it was not until 1920 that he began his career as an etcher in earnest. Most of his etchings were versions of his oil painting
s - many of which now appear a bit garish and wooden to our eyes. On the other hand the precision of the etchings seems almost miraculously lifelike.
He used his first wife Anais as the model for most of his early etchings of young womanhood (especially from 1920 till 1934).
After falling in love with a sixteen year old model named Dorette and divorcing Anais, negative public opinion forced him to leave England, especially after his most famous etching, called Adolescence, the image of Dorette sitting naked before her bedroom mirror, was shown at the Royal Academy
in 1933.
In New York
, Brockhurst became both famous and rich with a series of society
portrait
s but his printmaking output diminished, especially his etchings. He produced a few lithographs at the end of his career (around 1945).
In 1958, he appeared as a guest challenger on the TV panel show "To Tell The Truth".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and etcher.
During the 1930s and 1940s he was celebrated as a portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
ist, painting society figures such as Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
and the Duchess of Windsor. Today he is best known for his small etched prints
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
of beautiful, idealized women - many of them modelled by his first and second wives.
Biography
He entered the Birmingham School of ArtBirmingham School of Art
The Birmingham School of Art was a municipal art school based in the centre of Birmingham, England. Although the organisation was absorbed by Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971 and is now part of Birmingham City University's Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, its Grade I listed building on...
at the age of twelve and soon showed uncanny drawing skills. At the Royal Academy Schools he won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
and scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
in 1913.
Though he tried his hand at etching in 1914 it was not until 1920 that he began his career as an etcher in earnest. Most of his etchings were versions of his oil painting
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
s - many of which now appear a bit garish and wooden to our eyes. On the other hand the precision of the etchings seems almost miraculously lifelike.
He used his first wife Anais as the model for most of his early etchings of young womanhood (especially from 1920 till 1934).
After falling in love with a sixteen year old model named Dorette and divorcing Anais, negative public opinion forced him to leave England, especially after his most famous etching, called Adolescence, the image of Dorette sitting naked before her bedroom mirror, was shown at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
in 1933.
In New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Brockhurst became both famous and rich with a series of society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
s but his printmaking output diminished, especially his etchings. He produced a few lithographs at the end of his career (around 1945).
In 1958, he appeared as a guest challenger on the TV panel show "To Tell The Truth".