John Atkinson Grimshaw

Back in the early spring of 2006 I worked the International Fine Arts Exposition at the Palm Beach County Convention Center here in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was the first Union gig I had ever worked, thanks to my friend Tristan, and I was excited to see the expensive art that everyone kept telling me about. The beauty of the works, the history and the depth of it all took an uncomfortable backseat to the number of dollar signs placed next to each frame.



It was during my time here, though, that I got to see some of the most beautiful paintings I had ever witnessed. From Pierre-Auguste Renoir to Pablo Picasso and Sophie Anderson, this art show was deluged with rich art history and talent; and I wanted to drink it in as much as I could.



It was when I reached this one particular area that things really started getting good. It was here that I saw several paintings by the English, Victorian-era painter, John Atkinson Grimshaw.



His paintings were simple landscapes that could easily be passed over. But a second look pulled you into the world Grimshaw created on each canvas he touched. His uncanny attention to detail blew my mind; and though seemingly similar, each piece carried its own depth, cast its own shadows, conveyed its own mood. And until the day that xposition loaded out, I would always stop by and just stare at those paintings.

How do these paintings make you feel? What similarities can you find between the paintings?