▁his ▁first ▁and ▁second ▁w ives . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Born ▁in ▁the ▁Ed gb ast on ▁district ▁of ▁B irmingham ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁October ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁coal ▁merchant ▁called ▁Arthur ▁Bro ck h urst , ▁he ▁soon ▁showed ▁pre co cious ▁drawing ▁skills ▁and ▁entered ▁the ▁B irmingham ▁School ▁of ▁Art ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twelve . ▁A ▁pup il ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Academy ▁School s ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁he ▁won ▁the ▁gold ▁medal ▁and ▁a ▁trav elling ▁scholar ship ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁en abling ▁him ▁to ▁visit ▁both ▁France ▁and ▁Italy . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁closer ▁study ▁of ▁such ▁ 1 5 th - century ▁artists ▁as ▁Pier o ▁della ▁Frances ca , ▁B ott ic elli ▁and ▁Leon ardo ▁da ▁V inci , ▁whose ▁work ▁had ▁an ▁ab iding ▁influence ▁on ▁him . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁he ▁married ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁to ▁a ▁French w oman , ▁Ana ï s ▁Fol in , ▁whom ▁he ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁model ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁early ▁et ch ings ▁of ▁young ▁woman hood ▁( es pecially ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁till ▁ 1 9 3 4 ). ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁Bro ck h urst ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Ana ï s ▁lived ▁in ▁Ireland , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁friendly ▁with ▁the ▁artist ▁August us ▁John ▁and ▁his ▁circle . ▁ ▁Though