Cheer up, it's Grimshaw: $242,000 painting could be another record breaker

Railton's has had great success with the artist recently, and it's brought another under the hammer

You may have got the impression, reading about the whole rhino head which is available at Railton's upcoming auction, that it's not a very subtle affair. But the rhino head is not the piece which is expected to take top lot status.

That honour belongs to a painting by John Atkinson Grimshaw. The auctioneer recently sold another, and as they were so successful with the last one, (it broke a record) a farmer who has had one on his dining room wall for over 40 years has decided to consign the painting.

It is a fabulous atmospheric scene of Liverpool docks, and could be another recordbreaker (and certainly a strong investment).

Atkinson Grimshaw shows the sunny delights of Liverpool

To be precise, it is an oil on canvas, Liverpool moonlight dock scene - street with carriages and figures with open shops, signed and gilt framed. A typical atmospheric Grimshaw scene, it shows the clock outside the shop reading 7pm, with doors still open on a damp moonlit night.

There are couples and children in the gloomy atmosphere. The current vendor thinks that his father purchased it in the 1960s from Stacy-Marks, and it will go under the hammer here with a listing of £100,000 - £150,000 (up to $241,500). Railton's auction takes place on March 19^th with online bidding available.