John Martin (19 July 1789 – 17 February 1854) was an English Romantic painter, engraver and illustrator. He was celebrated for his typically vast and dramatic paintings of religious subjects and

fantastic The fantastic (french: le fantastique) is a subgenre of literary works characterized by the ambiguous presentation of seemingly supernatural forces. Bulgarian-French structuralist literary critic Tzvetan Todorov originated the concept, charac ...

compositions, populated with minute figures placed in imposing landscapes. Martin's paintings, and the prints made from them, enjoyed great success with the general publicin 1821 Thomas Lawrence referred to him as "the most popular painter of his day"but were lambasted by

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and pol ...

and other critics.

Early life

Martin was born in July 1789, in a one-room cottage, at Haydon Bridge, near

Hexham Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Tyne, formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne at Warden nearby, and close to Hadrian's Wall. Hexham was the administra ...

in Northumberland, the fourth son of Fenwick Martin, a one-time

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...

master. He was apprenticed by his father to a coachbuilder in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

to learn heraldic painting, but owing to a dispute over wages the indentures were cancelled, and he was placed instead under Boniface Musso, an Italian artist, father of the enamel painter Charles Muss. With his master, Martin moved from Newcastle to London in 1806, where he married at the age of nineteen, and supported himself by giving drawing lessons, and by painting in watercolours, and on china and glass—his only surviving painted plate is now in a private collection in England. His leisure was occupied in the study of perspective and architecture. His brothers were William, the eldest, an inventor; Richard, a tanner who became a soldier in the Northumberland Fencibles in 1798, rising to the rank of Quartermaster Sergeant in the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

and fought in the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spai ...

and at Waterloo; and

Jonathan Jonathan may refer to: *Jonathan (name), a masculine given name Media * ''Jonathan'' (1970 film), a German film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer * ''Jonathan'' (2016 film), a German film directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski * ''Jonathan'' (2018 ...

, a preacher tormented by madness who set fire to York Minster in 1829, for which he stood trial.

Beginnings as artist

Martin began to supplement his income by painting sepia

watercolour Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to ...

s. He sent his first oil painting to the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

in 1810, but it was not hung. In 1811 he sent the painting once again, when it was hung under the title ''A Landscape Composition'' as item no.46 in the Great Room. Thereafter, he produced a succession of large exhibited oil paintings: some landscapes, but more usually grand biblical themes inspired by the Old Testament. His landscapes have the ruggedness of the Northumberland crags, while some authors claim that his apocalyptic canvasses, such as ''The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah'', show his familiarity with the forges and ironworks of the Tyne Valley and display his intimate knowledge of the

Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...

. In the years of the Regency from 1812 onwards there was a fashion for such ‘sublime’ paintings. Martin's first break came at the end of a season at the Royal Academy, where his first major sublime canvas '' Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion'' had been hung—and ignored. He brought it home, only to find there a visiting card from William Manning MP, who wanted to buy it from him. Patronage propelled Martin's career. This promising career was interrupted by the deaths of his father, mother, grandmother and young son in a single year. Another distraction was William, who frequently asked him to draw up plans for his inventions, and whom he always indulged with help and money. But, heavily influenced by the works of

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and politica ...

, he continued with his grand themes despite setbacks. In 1816 Martin finally achieved public acclaim with ''Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon'', even though it broke many of the conventional rules of composition. In 1818, on the back of the sale of the ''Fall of Babylon'' for £420 (equivalent to £ in 2015), he finally rid himself of debt and bought a house in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it ...

, where he came into contact with artists, writers, scientists and Whig nobility. File:John Martin - Ruins of an Ancient City - Cleveland Art Museum.jpg, ''Ruins of an Ancient City'' (1810) Oil on paper, mounted on canvas, 95.6 x 118.6 cm.. Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio File:Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion.jpg, ''Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion'' (1812) oil on canvas, 76.2 × 63.5 cm., Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri File:John Martin - Moonlight - Chepstow Castle - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Moonlight, Chepstow Castle'' (1815) watercolour with gum arabic, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide File:JoshuaSun Martin.jpg, ''Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon'' (1816) oil on canvas, 150 x 231 cm., National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. File:John Martin - The Bard - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Bard'' (c. 1817) oil on canvas, 127 x 101.6 cm., Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut

Painter of repute

John Martin - Belshazzar's Feast - Google Art Project

Martin's triumph was '' Belshazzar's Feast'', of which he boasted beforehand, "it shall make more noise than any picture ever did before... only don't tell anyone I said so." Five thousand people paid to see it. It was later nearly ruined when the carriage in which it was being transported was struck by a train at a

level crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an overpass or tunnel. The term a ...

near

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough ...

. In private Martin was passionate, a devotee of chess—and, in common with his brothers, swordsmanship and javelin-throwing—and a devout Christian, believing in " natural religion". Despite an often cited singular instance of his hissing at the national anthem, he was courted by royalty and presented with several gold medals, one of them from the Russian Tsar Nicholas, on whom a visit to Wallsend colliery on Tyneside had made an unforgettable impression: "My God," he had cried, "it is like the mouth of Hell." Martin became the official historical painter to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, later the first King of Belgium. Leopold was the godfather of Martin's son Leopold, and endowed Martin with the Order of Leopold. Martin frequently had early morning visits from another Saxe-Coburg, Prince Albert, who would engage him in banter from his horse—Martin standing in the doorway still in his dressing gown—at seven o'clock in the morning. Martin was a defender of

deism Deism ( or ; derived from the Latin ''deus'', meaning " god") is the philosophical position and rationalistic theology that generally rejects revelation as a source of divine knowledge, and asserts that empirical reason and observation o ...

and natural religion, evolution (before

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...

) and rationality.

Georges Cuvier Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier (; 23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier was a major figure in na ...

became an admirer of Martin's, and he increasingly enjoyed the company of scientists, artists and writers—

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

Michael Faraday Michael Faraday (; 22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic inducti ...

and

J. M. W. Turner Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbul ...

among them. Martin took a home near Turner in

Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...

. Martin began to experiment with mezzotint technology, and as a result was commissioned to produce 24 engravings for a new edition of ''Paradise Lost''—perhaps the definitive illustrations of Milton's masterpiece, of which copies now fetch many hundreds of pounds. Politically his sympathies are not clear; some claim he was a radical, but this is not borne out by known facts, although he knew William Godwin, the ageing reformed revolutionist, husband of

Mary Wollstonecraft Mary Wollstonecraft (, ; 27 April 1759 – 10 September 1797) was a British writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights. Until the late 20th century, Wollstonecraft's life, which encompassed several unconventional personal relationsh ...

and father of Mary Shelley; and John Hunt, co-founder of '' The Examiner''. At one time the Martins took under their wing a young woman called Jane Webb, who at twenty produced ''

The Mummy! ''The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century'' is an 1827 three-volume novel written by Jane Webb (later Jane C. Loudon). It concerns the Egyptian mummy of Cheops, who is brought back to life in the year 2126. The novel describes a future f ...

'' a socially optimistic but satirical vision of a steam-driven world in the 22nd century. Another friend was Charles Wheatstone, professor of physics at King's College, London. Wheatstone experimented with telegraphy and invented the concertina and stereoscope; Martin was fascinated by his attempts to measure the speed of light. Accounts of Martin's evening parties reveal an astonishing array of thinkers, eccentrics and social movers; one witness was a young John Tenniel—later the illustrator of

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequ ...

's work—who was heavily influenced by Martin and was a close friend of his children. At various points Martin's brothers were also among the guests, their eccentricities and conversation adding to the already exotic flavour of the fare.

Paintings

His first exhibited subject picture, '' Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion'' (now in the St. Louis Art Museum), was hung in the Ante-room of the

in 1812, and sold for fifty guineas. The piece depicts a scene from the ''Tales of Two Genii" ''It was followed by the ''Expulsion'' (1813), ''Adam's First Sight of Eve'' (1813), ''Clytie'' (1814), ''Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon'' (1816) and ''The Fall of Babylon'' (1819). In 1820 appeared his '' Belshazzar's Feast'', which excited much favourable and hostile comment, and was awarded a prize of £200 at the

British Institution The British Institution (in full, the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom; founded 1805, disbanded 1867) was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it w ...

, where the ''Joshua'' had previously carried off a premium of £100. Then came '' The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum'' (1822), ''The Creation'' (1824), the ''Eve of the Deluge'' (1840), and a series of other Biblical and imaginative subjects. ''

The Plains of Heaven ''The Plains of Heaven'' is a 1982 Australian film directed by Ian Pringle, about two men at a remote satellite relay station who contemplate their obsessions. Ian Pringle shared the Interfilm Award win for ''The Plains of Heaven'' at the Mannhe ...

'' is thought by some to reflect his memories of the Allendale of his youth. Martin's large paintings were closely connected with contemporary

diorama A diorama is a replica of a scene, typically a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle mode ...

s or panoramas, popular entertainments in which large painted cloths were displayed, and animated by the skilful use of artificial light. Martin has often been claimed as a forerunner of the epic cinema, and there is no doubt that the pioneer director

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...

was aware of his work." In turn, the diorama makers borrowed Martin's work, to the point of plagiarism. A version of ''Belshazzar's Feast'' was mounted at a facility called the British Diorama in 1833; Martin tried, but failed, to shut down the display with a court order. Another diorama of the same picture was staged in New York City in 1835. These dioramas were tremendous successes with their audiences, but wounded Martin's reputation in the serious art world. The painting ''The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah'', 1852 is currently at the Laing Art Gallery in

. File:John Martin - Macbeth - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Macbeth'' (1820) oil on canvas, 86 x 65.1 cm., Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh File:Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum.jpg, ''The Destruction of Pompei and Herculaneum'' (c. 1821) oil on canvas, 161.6 x 253 cm., Tate Britain, London File:Martin, John - The Seventh Plague - 1823.jpg, ''Seventh Plague of Egypt'' (1823) oil on canvas, 144.1 x 214 cm., Museum of Fine Arts, Boston File:John Martin - The Deluge - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Deluge'' (1834) oil on canvas, 168.3 x 258.4 cm., Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut File:Coronation of Queen Victoria - John Martin.jpg, ''The Coronation of Queen Victoria'' (1839) oil on canvas, 238.1 x 185.4 cm., Tate Britain, London File:John Martin - The Eve of the Deluge - WGA14146.jpg, ''The Eve of the Deluge'' (1840) oil on canvas, 143 x 218 cm., Windsor Castle, London File:The Assuaging of the Waters by John Martin, 1840.jpg, ''The Assuaging of the Waters'' (1840) oil on canvas, 143.5 x 219.1 cm., California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco File:John Martin - Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still'' (c. 1840) oil on canvas, 47.9 x 108.3 cm., Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut File:John Martin - Destruction of Tyre - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Destruction of Tyre'' (1840) oil on canvas, 83.8 x 109.5 cm., Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio File:John Martin Le Pandemonium Louvre.JPG, ''Pandemonium'' (1841) oil on canvas, 123 x 185 cm., Louvre Museum, Paris

Engravings

In addition to being a painter, John Martin was a mezzotint engraver. For significant periods of his life, he earned more from his engravings than his paintings. In 1823, Martin was commissioned by Samuel Prowett to illustrate

's ''

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse. A second edition followed in 16 ...

'', for which he was paid 2000 guineas. Before the first 24 engravings were completed he was paid a further 1500 guineas for a second set of 24 engravings on smaller plates. Some of the more notable prints include '' Pandæmonium'' and ''

Satan Presiding at the Infernal Council ''Satan Presiding at the Infernal Council'' is part of a series of 48 mezzotint engravings that British artist John Martin created between 1823 and 1827 to illustrate a new edition of Milton's ''Paradise Lost''. It was described by ''The Guard ...

'', remarkable for the science fiction element visible in the depicted architecture, and arguably his most dramatic composition ''

Bridge over Chaos A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...

''. Prowett issued 4 separate editions of the engravings in monthly instalments, the first appearing on 20 March 1825 and the last in 1827. Later, inspired by Prowett's venture, between 1831 and 1835 Martin published his own illustrations to accompany the Old Testament but the project was a serious drain on his resources and not very profitable. He sold his remaining stock to Charles Tilt who republished them in a folio album in 1838 and in a smaller format in 1839.

Engravings and mezzotints

File:Martin, John - Satan presiding at the Infernal Council - 1824.JPG, ''Satan Presiding at the Infernal Council'' (1824) mezzotint and engraving, size unknown, Victoria and Albert Museum, London File:John Martin, Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still, 1827, NGA 124846.jpg, ''Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still'' (1827) mezzotint and etching, plate: 57.1 x 77.8 cm (22 1/2 x 30 5/8 in.), National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. File:John Martin - The Evening of the Deluge - WGA14147.jpg, ''The Evening of the Deluge'' (1828) mezzotint and engraving, 597 x 817 mm, Victoria and Albert Museum, London File:Eve's Dream, Satan Aroused, from Paradise Lost (1824–1827) mezzotint, plate 14 × 20.2 cm. (5 12 × 7 1516 in.), Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.jpg, ''Eve's Dream, Satan Aroused'', from Paradise Lost (1824–1827) mezzotint, plate 14 × 20.2 cm., Museum of Fine Arts, Houston File:Paradise, Adam and Eve, the Morning Hymn, from Paradise Lost (1824–1827) mezzotint, plate 14.3 × 20.5 cm. (5 58 × 8 116 in.) Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.jpg, ''Paradise, Adam and Eve, the Morning Hymn'', from Paradise Lost (1824–1827) mezzotint, plate 14.3 × 20.5 cm., Museum of Fine Arts, Houston File:The Creation of Light (1824–1827) mezzotint, plate, 13.3 × 19.7 cm. (5 14 × 7 34 in.), Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.jpg, ''The Creation of Light'', from Paradise Lost (1824–1827) mezzotint, plate, 13.3 × 19.7 cm., Museum of Fine Arts, Houston File:Satan Tempting Eve, from Paradise Lost (1824–1827) mezzotint, plate 14.3 × 20 cm. (5 58 × 7 78 in.) Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.jpg, ''Satan Tempting Eve'', from Paradise Lost (1824–1827) mezzotint, plate 14.3 × 20 cm., Museum of Fine Arts, Houston File:Bridge of Chaos, from Paradise Lost (1824–1827) mezzotint, plate 14.3 × 21 cm. (5 58 × 8 14 in.) Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.jpg, ''Bridge of Chaos'', from Paradise Lost (1824–1827) mezzotint, plate 14.3 × 21 cm., Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Works on paper

File:The Destruction of Pharaoh’s Host, by John Martin.jpg, ''The Destruction of Pharaoh’s Host'' (1836), pencil, watercolor with gum arabic, 58.4 x 85.7 cm., The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles File:John Martin - The country of the Iguanodon - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Country of the Iguanodon'' (1837) watercolor on paper, 30.2 x 42.4 cm., Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington File:John Martin - Manfred and the Alpine Witch - WGA14148.jpg, ''Manfred and the Alpine Witch'' (1837) watercolor, 38.8 x 55.8 cm., Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester File:John Martin - Manfred on the Jungfrau (1837).jpg, ''Manfred On The Jungfrau'', inspired by Byron's ''Manfred'' (1837) watercolour, gouache and gum arabic, dimensions unknown, Birmingham Museums Trust, Birmingham

Later life

His profile was raised further in February 1829 when his elder brother, non-conformist Jonathan Martin, deliberately set fire to York Minster. The fire caused extensive damage and the scene was likened by an onlooker to Martin's work, oblivious to the fact that it had more to do with him than it initially seemed. Jonathan Martin's defence at his trial was paid for with John Martin's money. Jonathan Martin, known as "Mad Martin", was ultimately found guilty but was spared the hangman's noose on the grounds of insanity. Martin from about 1827 to 1828 had turned away from painting, and became involved with many plans and inventions. He developed a fascination with solving London's water and sewage problems, involving the creation of the Thames embankment, containing a central drainage system. His plans were visionary, and formed the basis for later engineers' designs. His 1834 plans for London's sewerage system anticipated by some 25 years the 1859 proposals of Joseph Bazalgette to create intercepting sewers complete with walkways along both banks of the River Thames. He also made plans for railway schemes, including lines on both banks of the Thames. The plans, along with ideas for "laminating timber", lighthouses, and draining islands, all survive. Debt and family pressures, including the suicide of his nephew (Jonathan's son Richard) brought on depression which reached its worst in 1838. From 1839 Martin's fortunes recovered and he exhibited many works during the 1840s. During the last four years of his life Martin was engaged in a trilogy of large paintings of biblical subjects: '' The Last Judgment'', '' The Great Day of His Wrath'', and ''

'', of which two were bequeathed to

Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...

in 1974, the other having been acquired for the Tate some years earlier. They were completed in 1853, just before the stroke which paralysed his right side. He was never to recover and died on 17 February 1854, on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...

. He is buried in Kirk Braddan cemetery. Major exhibitions of his works are still mounted. File:John Martin - The Plains of Heaven - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Plains of Heaven'' (c. 1851) oil on canvas, 198 x 306 cm., Tate Britain, London File:John Martin - The Great Day of His Wrath - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Great Day of His Wrath'' (1851) oil on canvas, 196.5 x 303 cm., Tate Britain, London File:John Martin - The Last Judgement - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Last Judgment'' (1853) oil on canvas, 196 x 325 cm., Tate Britain, London File:John Martin - Sodom and Gomorrah.jpg, ''The Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah'' (1852) oil on canvas, 136.3 x 212.3 cm., Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne

Legacy

View in Richmond Park, John Martin, 1850

Martin enjoyed immense popularity and his influence survived. One of his followers was Thomas Cole, founder of American landscape painting. Others whose imaginations were fired by him included Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Brontës – a print of ''Belshazzar's Feast'' hung on the parlour wall of the Brontë parsonage in Haworth, and his works were to have a direct influence upon the writings of Charlotte and her sisters, who as children played with a model of him. Martin's fantasy architecture influenced the Glasstown and Angria of the Brontë juvenilia, where he himself appears as Edward de Lisle of Verdopolis. Martin enjoyed a European reputation and influence.

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

wrote of the music of Hector Berlioz that "It makes me see visions of fabulous empires and many a cloud-capped, impossible wonder. Its magical strains conjure up Babylon, the hanging gardens of Semiramis, the marvels of Nineveh, the mighty constructions of Mizraim, as we see them in the pictures of the English painter Martin." Martin's work influenced the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood – especially Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and several generations of movie-makers, from

, who borrowed his Babylon from Martin, to Cecil B. DeMille and

George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the '' Star Wars'' and '' Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as c ...

. Writers like

Rider Haggard Sir Henry Rider Haggard (; 22 June 1856 – 14 May 1925) was an English writer of adventure fiction romances set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a pioneer of the lost world literary genre. He was also involved in land reform t ...

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the '' Voyages extra ...

, and H. G. Wells were influenced by his concept of the sublime. The French Romantic movement, in both art and literature, was inspired by him. Much Victorian railway architecture was copied from his motifs, including his friend Brunel's

Clifton Suspension Bridge The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Avon Gorge and the River Avon, linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset. Since opening in 1864, it has been a toll bridge, the income from which provid ...

. A number of Martin's engineering plans for London which included a circular connecting railway, though they failed to be built in his lifetime, came to fruition many years later. This would have pleased him inordinately – he is known to have exclaimed to his son, Leopold, that he would rather have been an engineer than painter. Like some other popular artists, Martin fell victim to changes in fashion and public taste. His grandiose visions seemed theatrical and outmoded to the mid-Victorians, and after Martin died his works became neglected and gradually forgotten. "Few artists have been subject to such posthumous extremes of critical fortune, for in the 1930s his vast paintings fetched only a pound or two, while today they are valued at many thousands." John Martin (1789-1854) - Twilight in the Woodlands - 1502 - Fitzwilliam Museum

John Martin (1789-1854) - Twilight in the Woodlands - 1502 - Fitzwilliam Museum

A number of Martin's works survive in public collections: the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle – which also holds his famous "black cabinet" of projects in progress;

, the

Victoria & Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

, the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the '' Venus de Milo''. A central ...

, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Yale Center for British Art, Saint Louis Art Museum and elsewhere in the USA. The RIBA holds many of his engineering pamphlets. There are letters in private collections and at Queen Mary College in London. John Martin wrote two autobiographies, the first an article in '' The Athenaeum'' of 14 June 1834, page 459 and the most extensive in '' The Illustrated London News'', 17 March 1849, pp. 176–177. A major source for his life is a series of reminiscences by his son Leopold, published in sixteen parts in the ''Newcastle Weekly Chronicle'' in 1889. There are a number of surviving letters and reminiscences by, among others, B.R. Haydon, John Constable,

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a cham ...

, the Rossettis,

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation ...

, Charlotte Brontë and

– a persistent critic who, even so, admitted Martin's uniqueness of vision. The first full biography was that by Mary L. Pendered whose chief source, Martin's friend Sergeant Ralph Thomas, wrote a diary – now lost – of their friendship. Thomas Balston then wrote two biographies on the artist, the first in 1934, and the second (still the leading biography) in 1947. Christopher Johnstone produced an introductory book on Martin 1974, and in 1975 the art critic William Feaver was author of an extensively illustrated work on Martin's life and works. Since 1986, Michael J. Campbell has produced a number of publications on John Martin, including the leading publication on his work as an original printmaker, published by the Royal Academy of Arts, Madrid, in 2006. In 2011–12 Tate Britain and Newcastle's Laing Art Gallery co-curated a major retrospective exhibition of Martin's work in all genres -"John Martin – Apocalypse" – including his contribution as a civil engineer. Featured in the exhibition was the fully restored ''The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum'', 1822. Recorded as lost in the disastrous Tate Gallery flood of 1928, the painting was rediscovered by Christopher Johnstone, a research assistant at the gallery, when he was researching his book ''John Martin'' (1974). Its restoration by Tate conservator Sarah Maisey, reveals that the original paintwork was in near pristine condition; a large area of missing canvas has been repainted by Maisey using techniques that were not available in 1973 as she describes on page 113 of the exhibition catalogue ''John Martin: Apocalypse'' (2011). When rediscovered the painting was rolled up inside the missing Paul Delaroche painting ''

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey ''The Execution of Lady Jane Grey'' is an oil painting by Paul Delaroche, completed in 1833, which is now in the National Gallery in London. It was enormously popular in the decades after it was painted, but in the 20th century realist historic ...

'' which was returned to the National Gallery, London.

Family

Wife and children

John Martin on his Death-Bed (1854) by Charles Martin, Laning Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne

With his wife Susan, née Garrett, who was nine years older than him, Martin had six children who survived to adulthood: Alfred (who worked with his father as a mezzotint engraver and later became a senior tax official), Isabella, Zenobia (who married the artist Peter Cunningham), Leopold (who became a clerk), Charles (1820–1906), who was trained as a painter by his father, copying a number of his father's works – he later became a successful portrait painter and lived in America – his last exhibit at the Royal Academy was in 1896 and Jessie (who married Egyptologist Joseph Bonomi). Leopold was the godson of the future

King Leopold I * nl, Leopold Joris Christiaan Frederik * en, Leopold George Christian Frederick , image = NICAISE Leopold ANV.jpg , caption = Portrait by Nicaise de Keyser, 1856 , reign = 21 July 1831 – , predecessor = Erasme Loui ...

of Belgium, who had met and befriended Martin when they shared lodgings on Marylebone High Street in about 1815. Leopold later wrote a series of reminiscences of his father, published in the ''Newcastle Weekly Chronicle Supplement'' in 1889. Leopold accompanied his father on many walks and visits, and his anecdotes include encounters with

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "on ...

, William Godwin and Charles Wheatstone. Leopold married the sister of John Tenniel, later famous as the cartoonist of ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pu ...

'' and illustrator of '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''.

Martin's brothers

Martin's eldest brother, William (1772–1851) was by turn a rope-maker, soldier, inventor, scientist, writer and lecturer, who attempted to develop a rival philosophy to "Newtonian" science, allowing for perpetual motion, and denying the law of gravity. Despite undoubted elements of "quackery and buffoonery", William had a great talent for inventing. In 1819 he produced a miner's safety lamp which was said to be better and more reliable than that of Sir

Humphry Davy Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet, (17 December 177829 May 1829) was a British chemist and inventor who invented the Davy lamp and a very early form of arc lamp. He is also remembered for isolating, by using electricity, several elements for ...

. The only recognition he achieved in this field was a silver medal from the Royal Society for the invention of the spring balance. The second eldest brother, Richard, was a quartermaster in the guards, serving throughout the

, and was present at Waterloo.

, the third eldest brother, (1782–1838) achieved notoriety by setting fire to York Minster in February 1829. He was subsequently apprehended, tried and found not guilty on the grounds of insanity. He was confined to

St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics was founded in London in 1751 for the treatment of incurable pauper lunatics by a group of philanthropic apothecaries and others. It was the second public institution in London created to look after mentally ill ...

in London, where he remained until his death.

Notes

References

External links

*
On John Martin and CitiesPhryne's list of pictures by Martin in accessible UK collectionsArchives of John Martin held by Queen Mary, University of London Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, John 1789 births 1854 deaths People from Allendale, Northumberland English romantic painters 19th-century English painters English male painters Painters from London People from Hexham 19th-century English male artists