John Atkinson Grimshaw 1836-1893

In the 1870s and 1880s John Atkinson Grimshaw painted a series of views of deserted suburban streets in Yorkshire and in London. These images, often depicting a solitary enigmatic female figure, making her way down a leaf and puddle strewn road, are perhaps the most emotive and typical of the artist, who was unrivalled in his depiction of the evening gloaming. Whether he was painting suburban roads, the docks at Whitby of the shopping streets of London or Leeds; busy and noisy places during the day, Grimshaw painted the silent solitary evening still, when the residents, dock-workers and shop-assistants return home, leaving the streets deserted. The horses and carts, which have left their impressions in the damp soil of the road, have long since departed and the gateways have been closed to the outside world. There is an emotive sense of stillness and calm, which pervades these images of evening light.