Almira 1934

Gerald Leslie Brockhurst made this drawing, Almira, in 1926, using sanguine crayon. The limited palette is what grabbed me first; that red chalk color can be unforgiving, but here it makes for something so warm and intense. Looking closely, the texture of the paper catches the crayon, giving the face a softness that’s almost dreamlike. Brockhurst’s use of layering creates depth, especially around the eyes and mouth, where you can see the pressure of his hand. It's like he’s sculpting the face out of light and shadow. Notice how the lines aren't perfectly smooth, there's a slight roughness, a kind of hesitancy which makes it more real and human. This reminds me of some of the old masters, like Leonardo da Vinci, especially in the way that Brockhurst captures a sense of inner life, that knowing look. It’s a reminder that art is not just about what we see, but how we feel and connect with it.