Lot 45: Louis H. Grimshaw (1870-1943?)

Glasgow Docks
signed 'Louis H. Grimshaw' (lower left)
oil on canvas
16 3/4 x 29 3/4 in. (42.5 x 75.6 cm.)

The elder son of John Atkinson Grimshaw, Louis Grimshaw inherited his father's artistic talent. He became the most successful of his acolytes, and assisting him in his studio towards the end of his life. After his father's death Louis continued the tradition of painting moonlit cityscapes, undertaking subjects from Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The superior quality of Louis's work over other artists who painted in the Atkinson Grimshaw style, such as Wilfred Jenkins and Harry Meegan, often makes his pictures difficult to distinguish from his father's. In 1906 Louis he stopped painting so that he could pursue a career as a cartographer on the Manchester Guardian. As a result his work is quite rare and does not appear on the market often.

This street is most probably Broomielaw in Glasgow, overlooking the famous docks. Atkinson Grimshaw painted this view on a number of occasions, each time altering the architecture very slightly. In the present picture, Louis has even added in his father's characteristic clock, which can be seen in most paintings of this scene, such as Broomielaw, Glasgow, sold at Christie's, London, 15 June 1990, lot 129.

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

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.