dated and signed l.r.: 1878+/ Atkinson Grimshaw
oil on board
8 1/2 by 17 1/4 in.
Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 210,000 GBP
http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?sale_number=L07131&live_lot_id=4
The 1870s was arguably Grimshaw's most successful decade where his sublime nocturnes of grand houses amidst leafless tree lined lanes began to cement a reputation that lasts to this day. The first years of the decade saw a number of important accolades: the art dealer William Agnew began to buy and sell his works in London; in 1872 he was commissioned by the House of Commons to paint three views of the Roundhay Estate in consideration of the Leeds Corporation Improvement Bill; in 1874 he exhibited his first work at the Royal Academy, The Lady of the Lea and the following year another four paintings were accepted at the Yorkshire exhibition of Arts and Manufactures.
The present work was executed while the artist and his family were living in Scarborough. He not only painted the coastal town but also the surrounding areas, producing two versions of Yew Court in Scalby as well as a series of perspectives of Forge Valley. The house in the present work is unidentified but is likely to be located in the surrounding area. The artist's idiosyncratic and masterly handling of atmosphere is strongly evident as the effects of a recent shower are perfectly portrayed. The moon itself is omitted but its effect as the light source is replaced by the bright white reflection on the open gate. This gives the work a superb immediacy, capturing this particular fleeting moment.
The foremost figure is clearly a maid in service and seems to be gesturing to the figure nearer the house. This gives rise to a strong yet ambiguous sense of intrigue in that the narrative is left to the viewer's imagination. Such romantic tales were popular at the time and Grimshaw was clearly aware of this fashion as secret meetings feature regularly in his most successful compositions.
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