The Bend of the Road by John Grimshaw
- Item No.
Print Page
The incredible atmospheric details of this compelling work are characteristic of Grimshaw's work
Key Features
Click to See Complete Item Details »
- This entrancing painting by John Atkinson Grimshaw is entitled The Bend of the Road
- It is a wonderful example of Grimshaw's celebrated nocturnal paintings
- Grimshaw is known for his unmatched skill at depicting light and texture with photographic detail
- Signed "Atkinson Grimshaw 1883-4" (lower left)
- Oil on canvas
- Canvas: 19 1/4" high x 29 1/4" wide; Frame: 29" high x 38 3/4" wide
Item Details
- Width:
C:29 1/4" F:38 3/4" Inches - Height:
C:19 1/4" F:29" Inches - Period:
19th Century - Origin:
England/Ireland - Subject:
Miscellaneous - Artist:
Grimshaw, John Atkinson
John Atkinson Grimshaw
1836-1893 · British
The Bend of the Road
Signed "Atkinson Grimshaw 1883-4" (lower left)
Oil on canvas
"I considered myself the inventor of nocturnes until I saw Grimmy's moonlight pictures."-James McNeill Whistler
Extraordinary and breathtaking, this work was masterfully painted by John Atkinson Grimshaw, one of the most prominent and influential artists of the Victorian period. Grimshaw received immense praise and acclaim for his nocturnal scenes during the 1870s. Winding roads lit only by the soft glow of the moon through leafless trees have become synonymous with this incredible artist.
In this engaging painting, a cart and driver pass a well-lit abode on a moonlit lane. The almost photographic qualities of this piece, as in all of Grimshaw's work, infuse this image of rural Victorian life with a subtle poetry. This theme is prevalent in Grimshaw's body of work, conveying the artist's love of the romantic as portrayed by his favorite author, Lord Alfred Tennyson.
Noted for the photographic qualities of his landscapes, Grimshaw was heavily influenced by John Ruskin's creed of "truth to nature" and adopted the detailed techniques of the Pre-Raphaelites. These influences combined to create Grimshaw's highly personal style, which became so popular that imitations and forgeries even appeared during his lifetime.
Grimshaw lent his extraordinary talent to many types of scapes of either urban or rural subjects, and he even executed works depicting fanciful fairies and Neoclassical themes. It is his nocturnal paintings, however, that have left an indelible mark in the art world. Most of his works were created for private patrons and he only exhibited five of his paintings at the Royal Academy between 1874 and 1876.
Canvas: 19 1/4" high x 29 1/4" wide
Frame: 29" high x 38 3/4" wide
Select Artist's Museums:
Tate Gallery, London
Guildhall Art Gallery, London
Leeds City Art Gallery
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
Musée des Beaux Arts, Brest, France
New Orleans Museum of Art
Nelson-Atkins Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut
Rhode Island School of Design
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut
Shepparton Art Centre, Welsford, Australia
King George VI Art Gallery, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
References:
The Random House Dictionary of Art and Artists, 1988, Random House
19th-Century Art, 1984, Robert Rosenblum & H.W. JansonDictionary of Victorian Painters, 1978, Christopher Wood
Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, 1976, E. Bénézit
1836-1893 · British
The Bend of the Road
Signed "Atkinson Grimshaw 1883-4" (lower left)
Oil on canvas
"I considered myself the inventor of nocturnes until I saw Grimmy's moonlight pictures."-James McNeill Whistler
Extraordinary and breathtaking, this work was masterfully painted by John Atkinson Grimshaw, one of the most prominent and influential artists of the Victorian period. Grimshaw received immense praise and acclaim for his nocturnal scenes during the 1870s. Winding roads lit only by the soft glow of the moon through leafless trees have become synonymous with this incredible artist.
In this engaging painting, a cart and driver pass a well-lit abode on a moonlit lane. The almost photographic qualities of this piece, as in all of Grimshaw's work, infuse this image of rural Victorian life with a subtle poetry. This theme is prevalent in Grimshaw's body of work, conveying the artist's love of the romantic as portrayed by his favorite author, Lord Alfred Tennyson.
Noted for the photographic qualities of his landscapes, Grimshaw was heavily influenced by John Ruskin's creed of "truth to nature" and adopted the detailed techniques of the Pre-Raphaelites. These influences combined to create Grimshaw's highly personal style, which became so popular that imitations and forgeries even appeared during his lifetime.
Grimshaw lent his extraordinary talent to many types of scapes of either urban or rural subjects, and he even executed works depicting fanciful fairies and Neoclassical themes. It is his nocturnal paintings, however, that have left an indelible mark in the art world. Most of his works were created for private patrons and he only exhibited five of his paintings at the Royal Academy between 1874 and 1876.
Canvas: 19 1/4" high x 29 1/4" wide
Frame: 29" high x 38 3/4" wide
Select Artist's Museums:
Tate Gallery, London
Guildhall Art Gallery, London
Leeds City Art Gallery
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
Musée des Beaux Arts, Brest, France
New Orleans Museum of Art
Nelson-Atkins Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut
Rhode Island School of Design
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut
Shepparton Art Centre, Welsford, Australia
King George VI Art Gallery, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
References:
The Random House Dictionary of Art and Artists, 1988, Random House
19th-Century Art, 1984, Robert Rosenblum & H.W. JansonDictionary of Victorian Painters, 1978, Christopher Wood
Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, 1976, E. Bénézit
