
Lane Scene at Night
<p>Moonlight floods through tangles of dark, crooked branches, casting deep shadows on the ground that crisscross tracks imprinted in the damp earth by wagon wheels. The moon is just out of view but fills the scene with a strikingly eerie, bright-green hue. In the middle distance, a single cart makes its way down the muddy road, evoking the Romantic trope of lone travelers.</p> <p>John Atkinson Grimshaw has been hailed as “the painter of moonlight” precisely for moody, atmospheric works like this one. Self-taught, he began to paint in the 1850s while working as a clerk at the Great Northern Railway company in Leeds, England.</p>
Catalogue
- Year
- 1872
- Medium
- Oil on paperboard
- Dimensions
- 55 × 43.5 cm (21 11/16 × 17 3/16 in.)
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Artist
- John Atkinson Grimshaw
Artist

Painting
John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893) was a British artist best remembered for his nocturnal cityscapes. These moody scenes, produced in a realistic style influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite movement, are notable for their close attention to light and shadow, along with their uncanny ability to evoke strong emotion. Grimshaw's popularity waned following his death, but modern audiences have demonstrated a renewed appreciation for his stylized depictions of Victorian England, and his work can be found in institutions such as the Tate Gallery, London and the Leeds Art Gallery.
Full artist profile →Record
Verified by WattsOS- Artist
- John Atkinson Grimshaw
- Year
- 1872
- Medium
- Oil on paperboard
- Dimensions
- 55 × 43.5 cm (21 11/16 × 17 3/16 in.)
- Watts ID
- WW-1872-114736
Source
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Source
- aic
- Reference
- View at source
- Status
- verified