This is a painted version of one of the sisters featured in Brockhurst?s 1928 etching, `The West of Ireland?. Brockhurst told the story that this child was not favoured by her mother, whom he had also depicted, and so committed suicide by drowning herself. The artist claimed the image was a premonition of this. This idea reflects his interest in the often irrational mysteries of humanity. With heavy eyelids, the girl stares vacantly out of the work, as if she is having some other-worldly experience.
Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (English, 1890 - 1978)
Brockhurst was one of the most technically gifted etchers of his day. He attended Birmingham School of Art from the age of ten and, in 1907, entered the Royal Academy Schools in London where he won several awards. A travel scholarship allowed him to visit Paris and Italy, where the art of the Italian Renaissance proved to have a lasting influence on his work. Although he portrayed many men, he excelled in his portraits of women. His skill and technique enabled him to depict textures such as lace, fur and hair, with a beauty and elegance that subverted established limitations of printmaking. In 1937 he was elected an Academician of the Royal Academy. Two years later he moved to America, where he remained until his death.
