Gerald Brockhurst achieved success at an early age, gaining admission to the Birmingham School of Art at age 12, and later attending the Royal Academy Schools in London. He became known as a painter, etcher and lithographer. Associated with the British etching revival, Brockhurst and Augustus John were the only etchers to concentrate on portraits. Besides the influence of John, Brockhurst’s style demonstrates an affinity with painters of the Early Renaissance, such as Sandro Botticelli, whose works were receiving renewed critical attention among scholars and collectors. Brockhurst’s subjects are primarily young women and his work is characterized by a remarkable technical assurance and an obsessive attention to detail. Aglaia is a good example of the artist’s expressive style and his ability to suggest his sitters’ inner contemplation.