A landscape composition, John Martin, 1823

John Martin is known as a painter of religious subjects and fantastic compositions. His paintings, typically vast landscapes and cityscapes peopled with a myriad of tiny figures, enjoyed great success, as did the engravings made from them. His most important engravings are Belshazzar's Feast, The Last Judgement, The Plains of Heaven, and The Great Day of His Wrath. Given his bold and eccentric styles and departure from contemporary art norms, John Martin (1789-1854) was commonly at odds with art academics. However, today, Martin is regarded as the main player in England’s Romantic movement, which focused on portraying the human relationship within the natural world. Most notably, Martin’s artworks masterfully portray the sublime, whereas his numerous apocalyptic scenes could evoke emotions of terror and unsettledness.

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