John Martin

JOHN MARTIN
The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
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The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
Life of John Martin
John Martin was a very popular painter during his time. He had specialized in large paintings of the ancient world. Even though his magnificent art had been neglected for many years, it is now highly appreciated and recognized all over the world. He was an English romantic painter who was born in 1789. People celebrated him for his large and melodramatic paintings which amazed the general public. His paintings featured religious subjects as well as excellent compositions that were placed in striking landscapes
What started It All
Martin started his painting career to supplement his income. He was a soldier and, therefore, needed to get an extra income. Martin had two coachbuilders or mentors – one in London with Boniface Musso and the other in Newcastle where he learned heraldic painting.
Change
Martin went through good and bad things. The landscapes that he used in his paintings had the features of Northumberland crags which is where he was born. His canvas, which was regarded as The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah indicates his deep knowledge of the Bible especially the Old Testament. His work was also inspired by poetic work. His friendship with the poet known as Edwin Atherstone made the two paint pictures of mass destruction. The picture describes a story of how God destroyed those two towns for their immoral behavior.

In this story, only Lot and his daughters were saved since his wife disobeyed God when she turned behind and was turned to be a post of salt. This painting is the most famous of all of his paintings.
A Great Opportunity
John Martin got the chance of a lifetime when he submitted a painting to Royal Academy two times. His first oil painting was not hung when he sent it to the Royal Academy. He sent the second painting in 1811, and it was hung. After that, he set out a journey to create huge oil paintings that featured biblical characters which were inspired by the Old Testament.
He won various premiums at the Royal Academy as well as the British institution in 1817 and 1821. He is also linked with designing different urban expansions for London and also painted several landscapes of the Thames Valley. However, he was paralyzed in 1853 and later died in Douglas. People loved his theatricality as well as his apocalyptic vision. After his death, his picture began to be recognized, and the world had lost a great painter. He was a painter who brought history alive for them in such a manner that they could understand the past through his paintings. He had a lot of critics as well as supporters. He got a lot of money from his fans for creating paintings that astonished them. Martin was deliberate in choosing his paintings since he chose themes that would interest the masses such as stories of damnation and destruction and others.
He made an exhibition, and William Manning wanted to buy one of his paintings. Manning was interested in his canvas that was known as Sadak in Search of Waters of Oblivion. The canvas had been ignored for long after it had been taken to the Royal Academy. He studied perspective and architecture during his leisure time
Downfall
All in one year, Martin lost his parents, his young son, and his grandmother. These events affected his career since he was depressed. Martin was also involved with a friend who borrowed money from him which made him bankrupt.
Reputation
“Belshazzar” was Martin’s triumph painting, which was soon destroyed when a carriage which was transporting it was hit by a train at a level crossing near Oswestry. He continued with his painting work which made him famous. He was presented with several gold medals by royalty. One of the gold medals was from Tsar Nicholas, who was a Russian whose visit to Wallsend Colliery on Tyneside had amazed him. He later became an official historical painter to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg.
The destruction of the Sodom and Gomorrah painted by John Martin is one of his artworks that depicts a bible story. The painting is hosted in the Manchester city gallery. The Sodom and Gomorrah is an artwork that was created using canvas and oil in the year 1852. According to the story depicted in the artwork, a firestorm was sent by God to destroy two cities which were known as Sodom and Gomorrah. The sending of the firestorms in the two cities was to serve as a punishment for the people who had sinned against their God. Martin felt that this picture was relevant and was of great significance to him and other people as well. Martin created the paint two years after a cholera outbreak had killed many people in London.
Martin was a gifted artist who romanticized the destruction of the Sodom and Gomorrah and came up with something that was beautiful. The image is expressive and attractive to most of the people who appreciate these artists. The center of that particular image looks vibrant and has been complemented by the delicate figures that have been placed in the foreground.
The creation of the art was outstanding because it was created using earthly colors which are yellow, red, and brown. These colors depicted not only the heat of the firestorm but also the emotions derived from that occurrence. The use of the color red in the painting depicted anger and aggression. The presence of the red also brings about sympathy on the part of the creatures in the background who were escaping the fury of fire. The cool blue tinted clouds seem to give hope and a calm feeling to the individuals who were escaping from the menace.
The work of art of the Sodom and Gomorrah is an image that is deeply embedded in the western culture. The artist used the approach the show that most of the epidemics that were facing the region were as a result of sins that had been committed. God was determined that since people had refused to change their ways, they would be destroyed. The image is awe-inspiring with the brilliance of the art being depicted. He communicated what the people could easily understand since most people had that time had heard that famous Bible story. The painting has relevance even in the current world. The image has also revealed how art can be used to communicate such insightful message to the people.
Further Interests
He began experimenting and producing with Mezzotint technology where he was allowed to produce 24 engravings that were meant for a new version of Paradise Lost. He was presented with several gold medals by royalty. His engravings of The Deluge (1837) which were presented to Louis Phillippe astonished him who ordered a special medal to be presented.
Just like his brother, he believed in natural religion. It is a religion where God, spirits, soul as well as other supernatural objects are regarded as part of nature and not distinct from it.
Later Life
Martin turned away from painting to become involved with other plans and inventions. He was delighted to solve London’s water and sewage issues. He was involved in the production of the Thames embankment which contained a central drainage system. Martin started railway schemes and laminating timber.In the 1840’s exhibited many works, including a trilogy of large paintings of biblical subjects. The paintings included The Last Judgement, The Plains of Heaven and The Great Day of his Wrath. In 1853, Martin had a serious stroke that paralyzed his right side and soon killed him on February 17, 1854. His body was buried in Kirk Braddn Cemetry. However, the major exhibitions of his paintings are still mounted.
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Vocabulary Words
WORD DEFINITION
Heraldic painting is a broad term, encompassing the design, display, and study of armorial bearings 
Mezzotint technology Artwork presenting halftones. Deals with subtle gradations of light and shade, rather than lines, forming the image.
Natural religion religion, especially deism, based on reason rather than divine revelation.
Bibliography
Moore, Jane. 2010. Key Concepts in Romantic Literature. Palgrave Macmillan. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=4762720.
Morris, Frankie. 2005. Artist of Wonderland: the life, political cartoons, and illustrations of Tenniel. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia Fall.
Myrone, Martin. 2013. John Martin. New York: Tate Enterprises Ltd. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1359693.
Pendered, Mary L. 2000. John Martin, painter: his life and times. [Place of publication not identified]: Kessinger Pub.
Tonning, Eric, Matthew Feldman, and David Addyman. 2014. Modernism, Christianity, and apocalypse. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&AN=904382.
The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
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