Play of Light – A display of darkness and illumination

Location: Gallery 4, first floor

A View of Hampstead, London (1882) by John Atkinson Grimshaw 

Using the play of light against darkness to add drama and mood has been a feature of art since the Renaissance. This small display shows a variety of ways the technique was applied by British artists of the late Georgian and Victorian eras. Some artists specialised in atmospheric moonlit scenes, which became known as nocturnes after the musical term. They can be seen as part of the Romanticism movement, a way of expressing emotions and evoking ambience through art, literature and music.

Artists featured include J.M.W. Turner, Joseph Wright of Derby, John Atkinson Grimshaw and David Roberts.