|
The Gallery is
housed in an attractive late Georgian villa, in the middle
of Scarborough, one of the most attractive English seaside
resorts. Much of the permenent collection is made up of the
bequest of the late Tom Laughton. Tom Laughton, a prosperous
local hotelier, was the brother of Charles, the great film
actors. Throughout his life he had been a noted and shrewd
collector of modern art. I remember many years ago staying
at the Royal Hotel, and being very struck with the display
on the reception room walls.
The most popular
part of the collection is, however, made up of paintings of
John Atkinson Grimshaw 1836-1893. There is a short biography
of the painter in our artists section.
John Atkinson Grimshaw & Scarborough.
Grimshaw, who
lived in Leeds, often spent considerable time during the summer
staying at Scarborough. He first rented a house, which he
called Castle-by-the-Sea, in the town in the late 1870s, following
the death of three of his children at his Leeds home, Knostrop
Hall. The name of his Scarborough house came from the eponymous
poem by Longfellow. The move to the coast inspired much of
the artist’s most attractive work, as throughout his career
he was always attracted by ships, the sea, and docks, in fact
all things maritime.Grimshaw is best
known for his powerfully atmospheric paintings of twilight,
night-time, and autumnal scenes, and his pictures in the gallery
reflect this.
The Atkinson Grimshaw Pictures in the Scarborough
Gallery.
The Burning of
the Spa Saloon 1876
|
One of the most
impressive of his pictures. The artist looks down from the
town at the burning Spa Building on the lower promenade. The
reflected glow of the fire lights up the hill to the town,
and illuminates the buildings there. The light of the fire
also reflects onto the beach, and the sea, spreading towards
the painter’s vantage point. In the background the moon shines
on the sea, whilst above is one of Grimshaw’s
moody, and subtly painted skies. |
Lights in The Harbour 1879
|
This painting
consists of a nocturnal view across the bay at Scarborough,
with the Grand Hotel, the one of the largest brick built buildings
in the world in the background. The lights of the foreshore
flicker beneath the large hotel building. In the foreground
are fishing boats ,and drying nets. The calm sea reflecting
the lights, is beautifully done. The clear night sky reflects
the lights of the town. |
Burning
Off A Fishing Boat at Scarborough 1877
|
This painting is one of Grimshaw’s most powerfully
atmospheric. A crowd of onlookers on the wet harbour-side watch
the destruction of the boat. The sky is cloudy and threatening,
with the moon peeping out from behind the clouds. The reflections
of the spectators on the wet stone is wonderfully realised.
A sailing boat crosses the sea in the background. Wonderful! |
|
