Anais, No. 2 1930

Gerald Leslie Brockhurst made this etching, Anais, No. 2, sometime in the first half of the 20th century. Look at how he built up the image with so many tiny, precise marks. It’s a really process-oriented way of working, you can see how he almost methodically crafted the image, dot by dot. The tonal range is impressive, with all those subtle gradations of light and shadow. Notice the way he renders the hair, for instance. It's so detailed, almost photographic, but then there are these softer areas that dissolve into the background. The contrast is intriguing, creating this kind of dreamy, idealized vision. Then you have those sleeve puffs, they're less precisely defined, it's interesting how that area is less focused. Brockhurst seems to be channeling some old master vibes here, maybe a little bit of Leonardo da Vinci. But with a modern, almost clinical precision. It’s as if he’s saying, “I can render the world with perfect accuracy, but I’m also going to leave some room for mystery and ambiguity.”