John Atkinson Grimshaw
John Atkinson Grimshaw was an English realism artist who lived from 1836 to 1893. Grimshaw is remembered as one of the best artists to come from England during the Victorian era. He specialized in townscapes and nightscapes. His townscapes are detailed, precise, understated, and offer an almost photorealistic representation of this time period via paint and canvas.
Grimshaw was born in Leeds. After getting married, he began his career at the prestigious Great Northern Railway as a clerk. In 1862 at 24 years old, he quit his job and changed careers to that of an artist. Not much is known about Grimshaw’s thoughts at any period in his life. He left no personal records behind. That same year, Grimshaw first publicly exhibited his work at the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society. The Pre-Raphaelite artists had a major influence on Grimshaw. He emulated the realism and colors found within that style. His early works depicted mostly still life including fruits, flowers, and birds.
Grimshaw was also interested in photography. He developed a system where he could project photographs that he had taken directly onto the canvas. There is a precedent for this with the camera obscura used by such master artists as Johannes Vermeer and Caravaggio. Yet, he did receive some criticism from his contemporaries.
By the 1870s, Grimshaw was quite successful. His nightscapes were widely acclaimed. The perfection he displayed in terms of lighting, perspective, details, and mood were masterful and almost looked like photographs. In fact, James Whistler has said of Grimshaw’s work, “I considered myself the inventor of Nocturnes until I saw Grimmy’s moonlit pictures.”
Grimshaw painted mostly townscapes; both urban and rural. Though he painted many different cities, he depicted London, Leeds, Glasgow, and Liverpool the most often. These modern depictions of Victorian England yield a gritty, almost tangible view of the cities during the industrial age. Later on in his career, Grimshaw expanded his painting subject repertoire. He began creating historical landscapes of the Greek and Roman Empires. He also depicted literary scenes from well-known authors such as Longfellow.
Four of Grimshaw’s children became artists in their own right. John Atkinson Grimshaw died in 1893 from tuberculosis at just 57 years old.
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