3/24/11 02:26 pm - Uni work
Here's a writeup on the artist John Martin that I just submitted for my curating subject in my MfA.
About the Artist
John Martin (1789 - 1854) was a well known English painter during the period of Romanticism of the late 18th century and early-mid 19th century. A multi-disciplinary artist, Martin authored sculptures, drawings, etchings and oil paintings, and is well known for illustrating the epic poem 'Paradise Lost' by John Milton. His style of work is typified by large works of art portraying cataclysmic biblical events, with crepuscular, angular and foreboding landscapes and tiny characters which give the viewer a sense of the magnitude of the situation portrayed in the image.
His personal life could lend some insight into why he painted such dramatically dark and emotive scenes. Firstly, he was one of three surviving brothers out of 13 children born to his parents, Fenwick and Isabella Martin. His brother Jonathan had a troubled life after witnessing his neighbour murdering his sister. Jonathan is famous for setting fire to York Minster, though was found not guilty by insanity, and spent the rest of his life in at St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics. John Martyn brought up his brother's son Richard, but he committed suicide shortly after his father's death. At 24, John Martyn's Grandmother, both of his parents, and his biological son died. His next great work was, 'Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still', which was hung in the Royal Academy's ante-room. Maybe the story of Joshua fighting the Amorites, wishing for extra daylight, resonated with Martin who was undoubtedly battling the pain of loss against the fading sunlight of his boyhood, as he faced his new life as both an orphan and a man.
Martin enjoyed prosperity and fame during his lifetime stemming from the sale of his first major work entitled, 'Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion' in 1812 to William Manning MP who was a governor of the Bank of England. He was only 23 years old. The monumental work depicts the dimunitive figure of Sadak, a character in James Ridley's Tales of the Genii in a foreboding and emotive mountain landscape, having just surmounted the climb. Sadak is paused on a rock, not having yet looked up to regard the incredible sight before him: the waters flanked by towering sharp rocks, in the foreground this landscape continues forever. Exemplifying his popularity, it has been said that a substantial quotient of his prosperity stemmed from the sale of prints of his paintings, not the paintings themselves. A philosopher and an intellectual, he was well connected with the intelligentsia and was known to host soirées at his home in Marylebone, London where artists, scientists, writers and intellectuals engaged in eccentric discourse. He was regarded as a visionary and a genius, but also disparaged by Ruskin and other critics, who opined that his work was vulgar sensationalism. In the 1930s, some of his works sold for a couple of pounds. It wasn't until the 1970s that appreciation for his work enjoyed a revival.
John Martin is famous for being a biblical artist who painted works of epic proportions, but he was also interested in architecture, town planning, and engineering, and he preoccupied himself for a time with solving London's water and sewage problems, coming up with improvements to mine safety and ventilation measures of the day, marine engineering and railway schemes. His legacy is his body of artistic works which include some of the most important British romantic works of all time. Martin's large canvasses reflect a large consciousness which tried to express the Judeo-Christian tradition. His paintings reflect himself, a man flourishing with creativity, emotional depth and religious fervour.
( References )
I received marks back from my first submission for my subject on print ads: Credit!
I'm happy with that considering I wrote it when I was recovering from surgery.
All things considered, I'm pretty happy with myself. I'm certainly not a great talent at writing, but it's not bad for a high school dropout either, no?
Here are some works by John Martin, I looooove the madness and emotion captured in each.
Satan presiding over hell
Based on a mezzotint Martin made for Milton's Paradise Lost. It's at the Louvre. Paris calling my name again.
About the Artist
John Martin (1789 - 1854) was a well known English painter during the period of Romanticism of the late 18th century and early-mid 19th century. A multi-disciplinary artist, Martin authored sculptures, drawings, etchings and oil paintings, and is well known for illustrating the epic poem 'Paradise Lost' by John Milton. His style of work is typified by large works of art portraying cataclysmic biblical events, with crepuscular, angular and foreboding landscapes and tiny characters which give the viewer a sense of the magnitude of the situation portrayed in the image.
His personal life could lend some insight into why he painted such dramatically dark and emotive scenes. Firstly, he was one of three surviving brothers out of 13 children born to his parents, Fenwick and Isabella Martin. His brother Jonathan had a troubled life after witnessing his neighbour murdering his sister. Jonathan is famous for setting fire to York Minster, though was found not guilty by insanity, and spent the rest of his life in at St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics. John Martyn brought up his brother's son Richard, but he committed suicide shortly after his father's death. At 24, John Martyn's Grandmother, both of his parents, and his biological son died. His next great work was, 'Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still', which was hung in the Royal Academy's ante-room. Maybe the story of Joshua fighting the Amorites, wishing for extra daylight, resonated with Martin who was undoubtedly battling the pain of loss against the fading sunlight of his boyhood, as he faced his new life as both an orphan and a man.
Martin enjoyed prosperity and fame during his lifetime stemming from the sale of his first major work entitled, 'Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion' in 1812 to William Manning MP who was a governor of the Bank of England. He was only 23 years old. The monumental work depicts the dimunitive figure of Sadak, a character in James Ridley's Tales of the Genii in a foreboding and emotive mountain landscape, having just surmounted the climb. Sadak is paused on a rock, not having yet looked up to regard the incredible sight before him: the waters flanked by towering sharp rocks, in the foreground this landscape continues forever. Exemplifying his popularity, it has been said that a substantial quotient of his prosperity stemmed from the sale of prints of his paintings, not the paintings themselves. A philosopher and an intellectual, he was well connected with the intelligentsia and was known to host soirées at his home in Marylebone, London where artists, scientists, writers and intellectuals engaged in eccentric discourse. He was regarded as a visionary and a genius, but also disparaged by Ruskin and other critics, who opined that his work was vulgar sensationalism. In the 1930s, some of his works sold for a couple of pounds. It wasn't until the 1970s that appreciation for his work enjoyed a revival.
John Martin is famous for being a biblical artist who painted works of epic proportions, but he was also interested in architecture, town planning, and engineering, and he preoccupied himself for a time with solving London's water and sewage problems, coming up with improvements to mine safety and ventilation measures of the day, marine engineering and railway schemes. His legacy is his body of artistic works which include some of the most important British romantic works of all time. Martin's large canvasses reflect a large consciousness which tried to express the Judeo-Christian tradition. His paintings reflect himself, a man flourishing with creativity, emotional depth and religious fervour.
( References )
I received marks back from my first submission for my subject on print ads: Credit!
I'm happy with that considering I wrote it when I was recovering from surgery.
All things considered, I'm pretty happy with myself. I'm certainly not a great talent at writing, but it's not bad for a high school dropout either, no?
Here are some works by John Martin, I looooove the madness and emotion captured in each.
Satan presiding over hell
Based on a mezzotint Martin made for Milton's Paradise Lost. It's at the Louvre. Paris calling my name again.
