Prince's Dock, Hull

Grimshaw is best-known today for his moonlit scenes of towns and docks, so evocative of the Victorian era. His style and subject matter changed very little during his career; he was constantly striving to perfect his own very individual vision. This scene is taken from Prince's Dock Street. The dark silhouettes of the Dock Offices and the Wilberforce Monument contrast with the cheery glow emanating from the shop windows and street lamps. The Dock Offices, completed in 1871, now house the City's maritime collection; the Monument has been relocated and now stands on the other side of Queen's Gardens. The Ferens' painting is one of Grimshaw's late works, executed just six years before his death.