Fine Art Poster
From £28
A giclée print on 200gsm matte fine art paper, using a twelve-colour process for accurate, fade-resistant colour. Supplied unframed, delivered flat or rolled.
Midsummer Night - John Atkinson Grimshaw
Regular price
£28.00 GBP
Sale price
£28.00 GBP
Regular price
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
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Made to order
Description
A haunting Victorian fantasy scene by John Atkinson Grimshaw, featuring a luminous fairy hovering above a dark, atmospheric forest pool.
John Atkinson Grimshaw is primarily recognised for his nocturnal urban scenes, yet this work demonstrates his occasional foray into the Victorian fascination with fairy subjects. Midsummer Night depicts a solitary winged figure suspended above a dark, still pool. The composition relies on the contrast between the ethereal, luminous quality of the fairy and the dense, atmospheric gloom of the surrounding woodland.
Grimshaw employs a muted palette of browns, ochres, and deep forest greens to construct the environment. The trees are rendered with a characteristic attention to skeletal detail, their bare branches creating a sense of enclosure. The fairy, positioned centrally, acts as the primary light source. Her wings possess a translucent, insect-like quality, while her form is painted with a soft, diffused glow that separates her from the murky reality of the forest floor.
This painting aligns with the broader interest in folklore and the supernatural that permeated British art during the late nineteenth century. Unlike his typical street scenes, which focus on the interplay of gaslight and wet pavement, this work explores the psychological depth of the forest. The stillness of the water and the deliberate lack of secondary figures create an isolated, dreamlike atmosphere. Grimshaw uses thin, precise brushwork to define the textures of the foliage and the delicate structure of the wings. The result is a work that balances naturalistic observation with imaginative narrative. It captures a fleeting moment of quietude, typical of the artist's ability to imbue ordinary settings with a sense of mystery. The technical execution reflects his self-taught approach, prioritising atmospheric effects and tonal harmony over rigid academic structure.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Complete The Look
Midsummer Night - John Atkinson Grimshaw
Regular price
From £28.00 GBP
Sale price
From £28.00 GBP
Regular price
Fine Art Poster / A4 (21x29.7 cm) / -
Artist Biography
John Atkinson Grimshaw
Grimshaw painted Victorian cities at night, in rain, by moonlight, and in autumn, which covers most of the conditions available in northern England. The lamp-lit streets of Leeds, Liverpool, Scarborough, and London glow with a wet, precise luminosity that makes you want to put on a coat and walk into the painting.
He was born in Leeds, the son of a retired policeman. His parents disapproved of his artistic ambitions. He married his cousin and settled in Knostrop Old Hall, a manor house outside Leeds that appears in several of his paintings. He was largely self-taught, influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites' attention to natural detail and by Whistler's tonal paintings, particularly the Nocturnes.
His technique is painstaking. The moonlit skies are built up in thin glazes. The reflections on wet pavements are precise. The bare trees, silhouetted against pale skies, are painted branch by branch. The figures are small and anonymous, walking through streets that are atmospheric rather than narrative. He rarely told stories. He painted moods.
Whistler reportedly said 'I considered myself the inventor of nocturnes until I saw Grimshaw's moonlit pictures.' Whether Whistler actually said this is uncertain (Whistler said many things), but the comparison is fair. Both painted the same subject, night, with the same seriousness, though Grimshaw's approach was more literal and Whistler's more abstract.
He worked prolifically, partly from financial necessity. He had many children and the manor house was expensive to maintain. He died in 1893, at fifty-seven, and fell out of critical favour for most of the twentieth century. His paintings now sell well at auction and are among the most popular Victorian images in print.
He was born in Leeds, the son of a retired policeman. His parents disapproved of his artistic ambitions. He married his cousin and settled in Knostrop Old Hall, a manor house outside Leeds that appears in several of his paintings. He was largely self-taught, influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites' attention to natural detail and by Whistler's tonal paintings, particularly the Nocturnes.
His technique is painstaking. The moonlit skies are built up in thin glazes. The reflections on wet pavements are precise. The bare trees, silhouetted against pale skies, are painted branch by branch. The figures are small and anonymous, walking through streets that are atmospheric rather than narrative. He rarely told stories. He painted moods.
Whistler reportedly said 'I considered myself the inventor of nocturnes until I saw Grimshaw's moonlit pictures.' Whether Whistler actually said this is uncertain (Whistler said many things), but the comparison is fair. Both painted the same subject, night, with the same seriousness, though Grimshaw's approach was more literal and Whistler's more abstract.
He worked prolifically, partly from financial necessity. He had many children and the manor house was expensive to maintain. He died in 1893, at fifty-seven, and fell out of critical favour for most of the twentieth century. His paintings now sell well at auction and are among the most popular Victorian images in print.
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Fine Art Framed
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The same fine art print in a solid wood frame with UV-protective acrylic glaze and rigid backing. Five frame colours. Arrives ready to hang.
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