John Martin
1817
Medium
engraving in black on chine collé on wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 19.5 x 14 cm (7 11/16 x 5 1/2 in.) sheet: 34.4 x 25.5 cm (13 9/16 x 10 1/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Charles Ryskamp in honor of Paul Mellon, and in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Accession Number
1991.154.8
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This 1817 engraving by John Linnell portrays the British Romantic painter John Martin, capturing the likeness of an artist then rising to prominence for his dramatic, apocalyptic landscapes and biblical scenes. Created when Martin was in his late twenties, the print reflects the close-knit London art world of the early nineteenth century, where painters, engravers, and patrons frequently collaborated to promote new talent. Linnell, himself a skilled portraitist and landscape painter who would later influence the Pre-Raphaelites, employed the demanding technique of engraving on chine collé. Th...