A fishing harbour

The present painting probably depicts the quayside at Whitby, the coastal town on the east coast of Yorkshire. Renowned for its whale-fishing, narrow cobbled streets and looming Abbey, Victorian Whitby was well-suited to Grimshaw's atmospheric renderings of towns and harbours, often seen at dusk or shrowded in mist. In this example Arthur depicts a view of the harbour and beyond, whereas his father, Atkinson Grimshaw, commonly showed the Abbey on the cliff, seen from the river.

We are grateful to Alex Robertson for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.