John Atkinson Grimshaw

Realism, Naturalism

John Atkinson Grimshaw Paintings 1836 - 1893 England, Aestheticism

The Lovers

Oil on canvas

Private collection

City Landscapes

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OIL PAINTING: The Lovers
      The composition of Atkinson Grimshaw's The Lovers defies the expectations the painting's title creates. Instead of the portrait of new people in love one might expect, Grimshaw paints a landscape evocative of the feeling of furtive love.
      Grimshaw's choice to paint the lovers far-away and in darkness, as well as to position them off-center in his painting creates a mood of secrecy and of an intimacy shared only between them. The depiction of Grimshaw's subject matter thus benefits greatly from his expertise in painting night scenes.
     As noted earlier, many of Grimshaw's paintings focus on city- or landscapes at night. Does the title of this painting change the mood it evokes or the focus of the composition from that of his other cityscapes? Should this be considered more of a landscape or a type of subject painting?
     What effect does the unknown and unnatural light source in The Lovers produce? Does it add to an overall narrative or simply provide necessary light in the painting?