A fine early 20th-century signed etching titled ‘Young Womanhood’ by English artist, Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (1890-1978).

Brockhurst was an extraordinary and highly celebrated artist that painted various well-known society figures of his time including Marlene Dietrich and the Duchess of Windsor. He was born in Birmingham and studied at the Birmingham School of Art but later attended the Royal Academy Schools where he won a gold medal in 1907. The award enabled him to undertake study trips to Italy where he became inspired by the old masters such as Piero della Francesca, Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci.

Alongside his work as a celebrated painter, he also produced numerous etchings - often depicting the women closest to him, such as his wife, Anaïs Folin, and later his partner, Dorette.

In 1937, a few years after this etching was produced, Brockhurst was elected to the Royal Academy and was heading towards the peak of his success. And in 1939, he moved to New York where he became highly sought after.

Brockhurst is represented at the Tate, National Galleries of Scotland, The Met, and the National Portrait Gallery.

The etching is signed in pencil and housed within what appears to be its original frame.

Medium: Etching on paper
Overall size: 15½” x 20” / 39cm x 51cm
Year of creation: 1931
Provenance: England
Condition: Very good. Frame with some light age-related wear.
Artist’s auction highlight: £105,000 achieved for ‘Nadia’ at Christie's in 2014.