A rare portrait by celebrated British artist Gerald Leslie Brockhurst R.A. achieved £72,500 (including buyer’s premium) at Lawrences Auctioneers’ June Fine Art Sale, following strong competition from collectors bidding online and by telephone.
The Portrait of Mrs Alexander Frank Stanley Clarke, depicting Vivien Antonia Bligh St. George (1912–1975), was exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1935 and remains in its original handcrafted frame made by the artist. The painting was also reproduced in several leading society publications of the period, adding to its distinguished provenance.
Widely regarded as one of Britain’s leading society portraitists of the 1930s and 1940s, Brockhurst painted an impressive list of sitters, including the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich and Merle Oberon. Renowned for his refined, elegant style, he later established a successful career in New York, cementing his reputation as one of the twentieth century’s foremost portrait painters.
The portrait proved to be one of the highlights of the June sale, with its Royal Academy exhibition history and outstanding condition. It attracted considerable interest from collectors and driving competitive bidding to a strong final result. The sale continues Lawrences Auctioneers’ successful run of Fine Art sales, reflecting sustained demand for important twentieth-century British art.
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