Maybe This Will Make You Happy

Isabelle Brourman, 2022

Isabelle Brourman created Maybe This Will Make You Happy (2022) as part of her series of courtroom sketches produced during the Depp v. Heard defamation trial held in Fairfax County, Virginia. Brourman attended the proceedings in person, documenting testimony and atmosphere through drawing in real time. The subtitle reference, “Plaintiff: Exhibit #342, 19 minutes 40 seconds to 25 minutes 25 seconds,” situates the work within a specific segment of the trial record, underscoring her documentary approach. This piece is representative of Brourman’s broader practice, which explores themes of truth, perception, and the cultural spectacle of legal proceedings. Its significance lies both in its role as a firsthand artistic record of a widely publicized trial and in its contribution to contemporary dialogues around media, celebrity, and narrative.

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Medium: Watercolor, color pencil, ink on handmade paper

Dimensions: 11.5 × 15 × 1 in (29.2 × 38.1 × 2.5 cm), framed

Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist