In the winter 

Curator: Let’s take a moment to look at John Atkinson Grimshaw’s painting, "In the Winter". Editor: Brrr, I can almost feel the cold! There's something haunting about the light; that green sky, like a bruised apple, gives me the shivers. Is it my imagination, or can you almost smell the damp earth under the snow? Curator: Notice how the subdued palette actually amplifies the tactile qualities of the piece? Grimshaw utilizes thin glazes of paint which were en vogue at the time. One thing that also stands out for me is his ability to illustrate light in industrialized 19th-century England by playing with contrasting techniques in specific locales and settings across urban centers, coastal scenes, and rural life. The painting’s surface has a gentle but very distinct texture, but I feel I need to see the production on this work in order to give the best informed perspective. Editor: Right. It feels almost ghostly, doesn't it? The solitary figure trudging through the snow adds a note of solitude, almost as if she is a spirit or vision making her way home through this bleak, silent landscape. But there’s resilience too; that yellow skirt against the grey feels like a flicker of defiance. It’s evocative – it stirs up so many little ghost stories inside my head, I am completely taken by it. Curator: It makes me consider what a privilege it is for us to even be able to stand in proximity of these paintings today. Who do we celebrate? And perhaps just as essentially, what kind of labor went into preserving such work over the years for us to stand here today? Thinking of its role in a material continuum is absolutely central in seeing this. Editor: I completely see what you mean. Grimshaw captured a very complex essence by conjuring up something beyond just a scenic rendering. Curator: Yes, and as a historical document, it speaks volumes about the means of production during the era. Editor: All these many layers adding to an endless depth and range to be unearthed about one painting! Curator: It provides a solid perspective in just beginning to grasp all of the socio-historical information around what lies before our eyes today!