Brockhurst was an accomplished etcher and Dorette first appeared as an etching made in 1932. The model, Kathleen Woodward, posed for Brockhurst's best known etching Adolescence that same year.

There was much press scandal about the artist's 'Svengali-like' influence over his youthful model. He convinced her to change her name to Dorette and she eventually became his second wife.