Lea Hurst, Kent 

John Atkinson Grimshaw created "Lea Hurst, Kent" with oil on canvas, a very traditional fine art process. Grimshaw's nocturnes were built up with thin, translucent layers of paint. The artist used glazes, which are thin, oily, transparent layers of paint applied over a dried opaque underlayer. The way in which he applied the glazes, with exquisite, calculated detail, reflects an intense labor unseen in the work's final appearance. The details, from the wet cobblestones reflecting moonlight to the bare, slender branches of the trees, are highly observed. Grimshaw often catered to the tastes of industrialized Northern England. This contrasted with his Pre-Raphaelite contemporaries who were more interested in the aesthetic value of craftsmanship. While it uses traditional methods, this is art produced by a new kind of patron and a new kind of marketplace. It reflects a shift from the Arts and Crafts movement, rooted in the social critique of labor, to a celebration of the fruits of manufacture. Ultimately, understanding the social context of this artwork is vital to appreciating its significance.