Moonlight and Shadow

Grimshaw never repeated a composition. While the elements of his pictures were often the same: moonlight, shadow, reflection, and a sense of the season, each composition is enlivened in different ways. Here, two figures converse on a suburban lane. One is mounted on a horse, drinking from a trough. While figures are often found in Grimshaw’s oeuvre, animals rarely feature, making this particular nocturne unusual. The picture dates from 1886, at which date Grimshaw had a studio in Chelsea. Barnes, Hampstead and other London suburbs became favoured locations, in contrast to his previous depictions of the suburbs of Leeds.
We are grateful to Alexander Robertson for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.