Brocas, James (McKechnie Section 2)

Recorded by Jackson (Dictionary). Brocas was a portrait painter and miniaturist as well as a painter of black silhouettes. Long mentions that some of his silhouettes were full-length.

Brocas, the fourth son of the Irish artist Robert Brocas, was probably born in Dublin. He studied in Dublin and in 1772 and 1773 won prizes at the Dublin Society's School. He lived at 64 Dame Street, Dublin. where (as Foskett mentions) he worked as portrait painter and miniaturist; presumably he also worked there as a profilist. Foskett also mentions that he married in 1777 and published two advertisements in Freeman's Journal (on 28 February and 3 March 1778), both of which state that he has recently returned to Dublin from elsewhere. His marriage probably did not take place in Dublin. He died in Dublin in September 1780 and was buried in the churchyard of St Andrews.

Brocas was one of the early silhouette artists. Jackson quotes one of the two advertisements to which Foskett refers: `Mr. Brocas takes leave to inform the Nobility and Gentry and the public that he has returned to the city, and that he intends to continue his profession of painting Likenesses in the most natural and striking manner in oils, crayons, and miniatures. He will also take off Likenesses in profile at an English half-crown each, and whole lengths (which mode was never attempted before) at a Crown each.'

This last statement was not entirely accurate, since Torond had painted full-length profiles in London before 1778, and other artists had probably done so too. Perhaps he was the first artist in Ireland to produce full-length silhouettes. Brocas's remark that he has `returned to the city' may imply that he had been on tour in Ireland, or that he had visited London and seen the type of work which was being produced there.

An engraver, H. Brocas (1765-1838), who had a son of the same name, may have been related to James Brocas. He worked in line, and engraved original views after his own drawings or paintings. Graves records a portrait by C. Brocas (probably a member of the family), sent in from Dublin and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1821.

Jackson does not appear to have seen James Brocas's work, and since her book was published none appears to have come to light. Both bust-length and full-length work are mentioned in the advertisement quoted above. Should any examples be discovered, they would show the sitters in the costume of the 1770s at the latest. Their style and technique remain a matter for conjecture. The use of crayons is mentioned; possibly Brocas worked in a style similar to the clare-obscure method used by Torond. Alternatively, since Brocas asked only half-a-crown each for bust-length profiles, he may have painted these in solid black.

Since Brocas worked as a painter in oils and a miniaturist, it is likely that he signed his work. Certainly no trade label of his is known.