John Atkinson Grimshaw

Purchased directly from the artist and thence by family descent

STRUCTURE The picture has been wax lined which is providing a stable structure for the picture. There are no signs of craquelure but the paint surface appears a little dirty and may benefit from a light clean. UNDER ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT The varnish is opaque which makes a conclusive assessment difficult. However there appear to be flecked retouchings to the top of the building on the extreme right, to the railing and in the sky. There is also a small area of very minor retouching below and to the right of the signature. FRAME The picture is contained in a moulded gilt frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The docks along the banks of the Clyde were a favourite subject for Grimshaw and one he revisited on numerous occasions. The present work depicts the quayside at Greenock, a port town outside Glasgow which served as an important industrial hub during the Victorian era. By the end of the nineteenth century Glasgow and its neighbouring towns, such as Greenock, had become the industrial heartbeat of the British Empire with the ship building yards in particular providing the means to link the far flung territories of the Empire. Indeed, by this period nearly four hundred ships a year passed through the wharfs and quays of Greenock with sugar from the Caribbean ready for processing.

Grimshaw was fascinated by these new urban industrial centres and depicted them with a superb technical accuracy. In the present work the moonlight shimmers on the newly wet street and a lady folds away her umbrella, silhouetted against a tall gas lamp. The warm lights of the shop-fronts bathe the street in an orange glow and the twisting rigging and masts of the ships packed together at the quay side give a spiders web appearance against the gloaming evening sky. The atmospheric lighting of the work gives a palpable sense of mystery that is both intriguing and compelling.

From the 1870s onwards there was a dramatic increase in Grimshaw's production of these nocturnal dock scenes as wealthy merchants, industrialists and businessmen, newly rich off the back of the boom in British industry sought to buy his depictions of their cities. By the time the present work was completed Grimshaw was one of the most successful commercial artists in Britain who had found an artistic formula for depicting the new industrial age.