Under the Leafless Trees by John Atkinson Grimshaw

John Atkinson Grimshaw
1836-1893 • British

Under the Leafless Trees

Signed "Atkinson Grimshaw 1880" (lower right)
Oil on canvas

Canvas: 33" high x 48" wide

I considered myself the inventor of nocturnes until I saw Grimmy's moonlight pictures.
--James McNeill Whistler

A stunning, atmospheric scene by John Atkinson Grimshaw, one of the most prestigious and influential painters of the Victorian period. The artist, renowned for his paintings of landscapes, townscapes and dockyards, usually portrayed his subjects as seen by moonlight, lamplight or dusk. The palette of inspirational hues are magnificent and the artist's meticulous attention to detail, characteristic of all of Grimshaw's work, is captivating.

Grimshaw received immense praise and acclaim for his nocturnal scenes during the 1870s. Urban lanes with leafless trees silhouetted against the moonlit sky have become synonymous with this incredible artist. Noted for the photographic qualities of his cityscapes, Grimshaw's realistic compositions provide an artistic commentary on the bustling, industrialized cities of England. Grimshaw painted with a highly personalized style, often using photography as a compositional aid and sometimes even mixing sand with his paints to create a textural effect. He was heavily influenced by John Ruskin's creed of "truth to nature" and adopted the detailed techniques of the Pre-Raphaelites. These influences combined to create Grimshaw's highly personalized style, which became so popular that imitations and forgeries appeared even during his lifetime.

Though his breathtaking night scenes have become his best-known works, he also painted autumnal landscapes, portraits, interiors, fairy pictures and neo-classical subjects. Most of his works were created for private patrons and between 1874 and 1876, he only exhibited five of his paintings at the Royal Academy.

Artist's Museums and Collections:
Tate Gallery, London
Guildhall Art Gallery, London
Leeds City Art Gallery
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
Musée des Beaux Arts, Brest, France
New Orleans Museum of Art
Nelson-Atkins Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut
Rhode Island School of Design
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut
Shepparton Art Centre, Welsford, Australia
King George VI Art Gallery, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

References:
The Random House Dictionary of Art and Artists, Random House, 1988
19th-Century Art, Robert Rosenblum & H.W. Janson, 1984
Dictionary of Victorian Painters, 1978, Christopher Wood
Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, 1976, E. Bénézit

Category:

Education

Tags:

• visual
• arts
• humanities
• ms
• rau
• antiques
• nocturne
• moon
• painting
• fine
• art
• rare

[meesterschilders]

placed into my playlist of Atkinson Grimshaw, thanks

[vandalsmx]

I love Grimshaw art.