Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheatre launch new series of free Late Views with an evening of Moonlight Madness

21 October 2011 6-10pm

Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893): Painter of Moonlight

Guildhall Art Gallery 19 September 2011 to 15 January 2012

Guildhall Yard, London, EC2V 5AE

Buried in the heart of London’s Square Mile, the Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheatre is inviting visitors to indulge in an evening of Moonlight Madness to mark their major new exhibition Atkinson Grimshaw: Painter of Moonlight. This is the first showcase of Atkinson Grimshaw’s work for over 30 years – bringing together more than 50 major works by the self-taught artist.

The first in a series of free Late Views at the gallery, Moonlight Madness, an event inspired by the atmospheric paintings of Grimshaw, is a free evening of music, poetry, magic lantern shows, all to be enjoyed while sampling a ‘moonbeam’ cocktail from the gallery’s pop-up bar.

John Atkinson Grimshaw was a Leeds-born artist who became famous for his Pre-Raphaelite style landscapes and nocturnal urban scenes, with his distinctive leafless trees silhouetted against the moonlit sky. Drawings, manuscripts and photographs will also be on display to help visitors develop a greater understanding of Atkinson Grimshaw’s public and private lives.

Running alongside this exhibition will be a showcase of photographs by Liza Dracup, Chasing the Gloaming. Liza Dracup is a photographer known for her work that captures the magical effects of moonlight and this exhibition shows new photographs made in response to Grimshaw’s paintings.