A Village Street on Sunday Eve some Eighty Years Ago

The present painting with its prominent staffage is somewhat unique within Grimshaw's oeuvre. After a financial crisis that precipitated the loss of his house in Scarborough in the early 1880s, Grimshaw established a studio in London, in Manresa Road, Chelsea, and both increased the volume of his production and diversified his output. The deliberately nostalgic title and the figures in costume more suited to the period around 1800 are perhaps the artist's exploration of the history of this new neighborhood.
Alexander Robertson describes the work as a beautifully executed example of Grimshaw's mature work with all his acquired technical knowledge at this late stage of his career. The setting and architectural elements are beautifully realized with an abundance of detail in the handling of the trees and the old house, and is particularly evident in the lichen covered wall and the roadway with its intricate patterns.
We are grateful to Alexander Robertson for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.