L’Eventail (The Fan)
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 and fashions to display his legendary abilities.
The meticulous etching is contrasted – in an aethetically effective way – with the curiously messy border area below. It appears that Brockhurst was practicing using the etching needle in an area that would not affect the image, and he left it that way – surely intentionally – in the edition (including also his printed signature, written normally in the plate and thus printed backwards).