JOHN ATKINSON GRIMSHAW | St Anne's Square and Exchange, Manchester

Sotheby's, Belgravia, 19 March 1979, lot 22, where purchased by the father of the present owner

The picture is unlined. There are a few areas of localised craquelure but this is only visible upon very close inspection. The picture may benefit from a light clean. UNDER ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT There are extensive areas which show up darker under UV - whilst some of this is undoubtedly retouching (probably to infill craquelure) other parts are uneven layers in the varnish and perhaps also due to the artist's own unusual paint application over a photographic base. FRAME The picture is contained in a simple wooden 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."

Throughout his career Grimshaw had used photographs to aid his work. In the preparation for his early landscapes he referred to photographs and postcards as an aide-memoire for his close examination of the natural world. In the later period of his career he applied paint over photographic bases rather than sketching the composition onto canvases or boards. This may have been a time-saving exercise or it may have been a conscious embracing of a new technology for his art - it does not seem to have been a way of mass-producing his pictures as very few examples were produced. Grimshaw was very interested in photography and belonged to the Leeds Photographic Society for a while with his sons Arthur and Louis. This view of Manchester is looking along St Anne's Square lined with its brightly-lit shops to the Royal Exchange on the right and the statue of the industrialist and politician Richard Cobden. The trading hall of the Exchange was one of the most important buildings in Manchester, so renowned for its cotton industry in the Victorian period that the city earned the sobriquet Cottonopolis.