There is arguably no other artist that was able to capture the feeling of the night quite like John Atkinson Grimshaw. The self-thought Romanticist painter was truly a master of moonlight composition, and much of his artwork is dedicated to this mysterious celestial body.
In a sprawling cityscape or a quiet country road, Atkinson’s paintings describe a tale of the unspeakable beauty and wonder of the universe, with the moon as the main character. His awesome artwork is filled with the Romantic idea of capturing the moment’s perfection and entrenching it within the grand scheme of eternity.
Like all great Romanticist and Impressionist painters, John Grimshaw was able to produce paintings that speak a thousand words with every brushstroke. These undeniable facts about Atkinson’s art led to a legacy of masterpieces that transcend time and captivate the hearts and minds of whoever happens to view them.
A Moonlit Lane
A moonlit lane – John Atkinson Grimshaw
To speak about John Atkinson Grimshaw’s paintings is to speak about the very essence of being human. Like any person of genius, Atkinson’s ability to perceive the deeper underlying meaning in everything and transmute their nature to the canvas for everyone to understand is truly incredible.
This is something that all artists don’t get enough credit for doing, not just painters. Practically any person, young or old, from any corner or culture of the world, could look at one of Grimshaw’s paintings and come to the same conclusion about its magnificent beauty.
In other words, Atkinson’s paintings express a universal aspect of our world. Take A Moonlit Lane, one of Grimshaw’s first heralded masterpieces. In the painting, two figures walk a lonely road under the moonlit darkness of the night. It can be seen as a metaphor for life as an unknown path into the night that every person must walk.
Nightfall on the Thames
One fact about Atkinson’s art that is often overlooked is his outstanding ability to portray and blend an urban cityscape with the beauty of nature. This contrasting dichotomy was explored by many artists of Grimshaw’s time and was something the British artist excelled at.
Where many modern artists confront the idea of man versus nature, Grimshaw’s paintings emphasize the notion that human beings are, in fact, an integral part of nature rather than something standing against it. Nightfall on the Thames is one of the best examples of this idea and is also one of John Grimshaw’s most famous paintings.
Following, similarly to Monet’s Impression Sunrise painting, Atkinson conveys the relationship between human beings and nature in the form of ships on the water. Even though night falls on the Thames, the two continue to work together in harmony as old as civilization itself.
Reflections on the Thames, Westminster
Reflections on the Thames, Westminster – John Atkinson Grimshaw
The more you learn about John Grimshaw’s paintings, the more the ideas of harmony and relationships become abundantly clear. Whether it be the compositional relationship between light and dark tones, source and reflection, or the relationship between society and the natural world, the fundamental idea remains the same.
To John Grimshaw, art was a way to bridge the gap between these seeming differences and show that they, in truth, rely on one another for their very existence. But, of course, this is a very philosophical and ancient concept, and whether Grimshaw was fully conscious of the principles of duality cannot be confirmed for sure.
Nevertheless, Atkinson’s paintings embody this principle beautifully and profoundly. The figure in the foreground of the painting admiring the reflections of the moonlight on the Thames is an allegory for the mystery and meaning of life. It is easy to see why this painting is considered one of Grimshaw’s greatest masterpieces.
Hampstead Hill, Looking Down Heath Street
As well as using the moon as the centerpiece for his artwork, Atkinson also repeatedly used the cityscape itself as the leading character of the painting. Critics acclaim his artwork for the haunting impressions and deep emotional feelings that exude from his cityscapes.
When people use such words today as Gothic and Victorian to describe a tone or mood, they have Atkinson’s paintings in part to thank for it. When expressing these distinct atmospheric dispositions, you would be hard-pressed to find a better artist than Atkinson.
Take the painting of Hampstead Hill, for instance. Everything about it gives off an impression of the otherworldly. The moon, the clouds, the street, and the shadowy silhouettes of the people present all work together perfectly to portray a haunting picture of this dream called life.
Wharfedale
Wharfedale – John Atkinson Grimshaw
Another component of John Atkinson Grimshaw’s paintings that often goes unappreciated is his brilliantly chilling portrayal of trees. Atkinson often used trees and branches to greatly extenuate the element of unsettling eeriness found within his moonlight motifs.
If you study John Grimshaw’s paintings closely, you will quickly see how trees played a vitally important role in the impressions the Romanticist painter wished to convey. In almost all of his landscape pieces, trees can be seen used as either a frame for his foregrounds or as extensions of his imaginative expressions.
Take the painting Wharfedale as a case study. In the painting, the trees greatly illuminate and expand on the impression given off by the wandering road. They almost seem to walk alongside and follow the figure traversing the path, resulting in a landscape painting that is easy to become lost in.
The Bottom Line
John Grimshaw may not be as well-known as other Romanticist and Impressionist painters of the era. Nonetheless, there is none better when it comes to land and cityscapes, night scenes, and paintings that invoke introspection. Check out John Atkinson Grimshaw’s other paintings to learn more about this incredible artist.
