John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893)

In 1885 Grimshaw rented a studio in Chelsea, not far from that of James McNeil Whistler, with whom he became close friends, referring to each other jovially as 'Grimmy' and 'Jimmy'. London provided him with an ideal cityscape in which he could find a variety of street and river scenes in which he could display his talent for depicting the light and energy of the city. The scene is filled with figures on foot and in carriages lit by the glow from the moon above them, as well as the street lamps and shop windows. The painting shows Blackman Street, now part of Borough High Street, and the Church of St George the Martyr. Charles Dickens lived nearby and set several scenes from his novel Little Dorrit in and around the church.