John Atkinson Grimshaw

STRUCTURE The panel is flat and appears to be giving a stable support. There are no visible areas of craquelure and the paint surface is clean. The picture is ready to hang. UNDER ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT The varnish appears opaque but there appear to be very minor flecked retouchings to the house. FRAME The picture is contained in a moulded plaster 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."

Grimshaw painted many street scenes of towering birch trees stripped bare by the approaching winter surrounding large ancient houses. These mansions stand hauntingly silent, bathed in the mysterious shadows of evening cast by the light of silvery moons. The lone maid with her basket of provisions, wandering along the path beneath the moonlight, presents a romantic notion of servitude and Grimshaw's paintings rarely make a political statement. However he was not a high-born artist looking down upon workers without an understanding of the hardships of life. He lived in stylish and comfortable Knostrop Old Hall but his father had been a policeman and Grimshaw himself had known the drudgery of labour when he worked as a clerk for the Great Northern Railway.

'The small house, The climbing street, the mill, the leafy lanes, The peacock-yew tree and the lonely Hall... The chill November dawns and dewy-glooming downs, The gentle shower, the smell of the dying leaves...' Lord Alfred Tennyson, Enoch Arden