John Atkinson Grimshaw

Mrs. Lytle Hull (sale, Sotheby's, New York, Property from the Estate of Mrs. Lytle Hull, September 24-25, 1977, lot 196, illustrated)

John Atkinson Grimshaw painted a series of desirable, evocative autumnal and winter scenes throughout the 1870’s and 1880’s.  The paintings depicted suburban, idyllic lanes bordered by mossy stone walls, covered by arching branches and often anchored by a composite manor of aged grace.  In the present example, the multi-hued moon glows with radiant light, reflecting off the many natural surfaces and illuminating a solitary woman. Grimshaw uses a recessive path to place the viewer walking directly behind her, sharing the cool quiet of evening.

Most of all, the work depicts a beloved theme in Victorian painting, the return to the home. Grimshaw’s thematic expression incorporates the poetic and Romantic features of a dramatic night, weathered stone walls, and a solitary figure. Every detail is vivid, from delicate branches and the moon’s halo to the gravelled texture of the cobblestone street. The lone woman bestows a human presence to the natural landscape and transforms the experience of walking down a street into a wistful, nostalgic moment.  Grimshaw championed the Victorian idealization of the suburbs and in the present work he successfully imbues their leafy streets with the Romantic ideals of eternal love, the cycles of nature, and heart-felt loss.