Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (1891 − 1978)
Brockhurst was born in Birmingham, West Midlands, and he studied at Birmingham School of Arts and the Royal Academy Schools, London. He was hailed as a child prodigy for his drawing, and became an enormously successful society portrait painter; his sitters included the Duchess of Windsor and Marlene Dietrich. Brockhurst's first published etchings date from 1920 and most of his graphic work centred around the theme of young womanhood with his wife, Anaïs, acting as model until 1928 when Dorette Woodward, a model from the Royal Academy Schools, became his muse. In 1939 Brockhurst eloped with Dorette to New York amidst great scandal; they later married in 1947. At first they lived in New York City and later in New Jersey. The new life in America provided Brockhurst with numerous lucrative portrait commissions including J Paul Getty and Paul Mellon.
Further reading:
Kenneth Guichard, British Etchers 1850-1940, Robin Garton, London 1977
Brockhurst RA: A Dream of Fair Women, Sheffield City Art Galleries 1987. Essays by Anne Goodchild, Marilyn F Symmes and Stephen Wildman
Glossary
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Drawing
The depiction of shapes and forms on a flat surface chiefly by means of lines although colour and shading may also be included. Materials most commonly used are pencil, ink, crayon, charcoal, chalk and pastel, although other materials, including paint, can be used in combination.
Past exhibitions
CONTEMPORARY BRITISH ART AND ENGRAVINGS
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1939
- Sweden, Stockholm, LILJEVALCHS KONSTHALL
- Finland, Helsinki, KONSTHALLE
- Poland, Warsaw, INSTYTUT PROPAGANDY SZTUKI
CONTEMPORARY BRITISH PRINTS AND DRAWINGS FROM THE WAKEFIELD COLLECTION
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1950
- Fiji, Suva, FIJI ARTS CLUB
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1949
- New Zealand, Hamilton, WAIKATO MUSEUM OF ART & HISTORY
- New Zealand, Rotorua, SOCIETY OF ARTS
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1948
- New Zealand, Auckland, CITY ART GALLERY
- New Zealand, Wellington, NATIONAL ART GALLERY
- New Zealand, Napier
- New Zealand, Wanganui, WHANGANUI REGIONAL MUSEUM
- Australia, Brisbane, QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY
- Australia, Sydney, ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
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1947
- Australia, Hobart, TASMANIAN MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY
- Australia, Melbourne, MELBOURNE ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING
- Australia, Adelaide, ART GALLERY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
- Australia, Perth, ART GALLERY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
- UK, London, VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM
EXPOSICION DE ARTE BRITANICO CONTEMPORANEO
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1943
- Brazil, Rio De Janeiro
NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR
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1940
- USA, Chicago, ARTS CLUB OF CHICAGO
- USA, Boston, MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
- USA, Toledo, TOLEDO MUSEUM OF ART
- Canada, Montreal, Quebec, ART ASSOCIATION OF MONTREAL
- Canada, Toronto, Ontario, ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO
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1939
- Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA
- USA, New York, BRITISH PAVILION WORLD'S FAIR
