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The paintings in your home’s living room give visitors a good impression about who you are and what you like to be associated with. Therefore you have to hang paintings in your living room which you like. Every painting should have a “meaning.” Whether original or an excellent reproduction, your paintings have to “talk” to you. It may be a famous painting you like, or just because you want the colors used in the painting.
To identify paintings you want in your living room, you must visit art galleries – personally or online. First, look for the paintings that you want to associate with. Then determine what you must do to get the painting on the wall in your living room. If it is original and affordable, make an offer to purchase it. If it is not for sale or just too expensive to buy, acquire a reproduction from a gallery specializing in creating and providing legal reproductions.
In this article, we’ll look at some of John Atkinson Grimshaw’s paintings that you may not know about as they are in private collections. But they are ideal if you love the English Victorian era. First, we’ll briefly look at him as an artist and then suggest three of his oil paintings that you can consider for your living room.
Who was John Atkinson Grimshaw?
John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836–1893) was an English Victorian-era artist. He is best known for his nocturnal scenes of urban landscapes, and he is considered a great Victorian-era painter. Some art critics believe some of the best nightscape and townscape artworks of all time were created by Grimshaw.
Grimshaw’s depictions are very realistic. His love for realism was because of his other passion, namely photography. He sometimes used a camera obscura or lenses to project scenes onto the canvas. This technique compensated for his shortcomings as a draftsman and his poor knowledge of perspective.
Although some of his contemporaries condemned him, who believed that a painter should paint by eye rather than using “artificial devices,” he is today recognized for his mastery of color, lighting, and shadow. He also could provoke strong emotional responses in the viewer. In addition, Grimshaw successfully depicted the urban England of his time but avoided the industrial towns’ depressing aspects.
But where do you get a Grimshaw oil painting? As almost all of Grimshaw’s paintings are in private collections and not offered for sale or put on auction often, it might be challenging to acquire an original. Fortunately, there are art galleries specializing in reproductions where you can purchase perfect replicas. So a sound oil reproduction on your wall will enhance your living room’s décor just as much as an original.
A Moonlit Lane with two Lovers by a Gate
“A Moonlit Lane with two Lovers by a Gate” is a beautiful oil painting in some unknown art lover’s private collection. It is an artwork that will provide an “atmosphere” to your living room, especially if you are romantic. You can find a sound reproduction at a reputable online art gallery.
This painting is different from most of his other paintings. Atkinson’s painting describes more of a “story” than his other paintings. The painting depicts two lovers, and their “story” can make your painting an excellent conversation piece.
The painting was done on a vertical canvas. Grimshaw used vertical canvasses to emphasize trees, buildings, and people as his main compositional elements. In this case, the trees create interesting visual patterns with many branches. It is as if the trees invite you to look longer and more closely at the landscape.
The dirt road is placed in the middle of the composition enabling the trees to throw exciting patterns on the road. The figures of the two lovers are tiny against the high trees that, in a way, form a framing around the image. The two lovers seem almost hidden from the viewer and give the idea of a “secret” encounter.
Autumn Gold
“Autumn Gold” was painted in the 1880s. It was the years when Grimshaw was in his mature phase. The painting was done with photographic precision, but he successfully conveyed a solid atmospheric message. The atmosphere is created by the yellow color that varies from a warm golden to a greenish shade.
Usually, Grimshaw didn’t use people in his cityscapes. However, this painting depicts a human figure against a wall. Apart from the fact that “Autumn Gold” is one of Grimshaw’s most famous oil paintings, it is a painting that will enhance the décor of your living room.
Unfortunately, because it is also in a private collection and currently not on sale, you’ll have to purchase a reproduction if you want to bring this magnificent artwork into your home.
Moonlight after Rain
“Moonlight after Rain” depicts a typical scene of Grimshaw’s work. He loved to paint British streets as seen at night. In this painting, a lonely figure adds an emotional dimension to the scene. The person is close to the street’s center and is wearing greyish clothes. It could be very early in the morning with the person walking through cobblestone streets with stone walls on both sides. The painting invites the viewer to create a “story” around the lonely figure. Thus, it can also be a great conversation piece in your living room.
With “Moonlight after Rain,” Grimshaw showed his skills to elevate cityscapes to the same level as landscapes.
Conclusion
If you like to read and learn more about England’s late 1800s and the industrial revolution, you will probably love having at least one of Grimshaw’s paintings in your living room. Not only will they bring you joy, but they can be conversation pieces when you have visitors.