Martin, John (1789–1854)

Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion, by British painter John Martin. Martin's vast canvasses serve to direct attention to the puny nature of his human characters. His narrative paintings often have a didactic theme.

English Romantic painter. He painted grandiose landscapes and ambitious religious subjects which – characterized by massive perspectives, gigantic crags, and towering battlements – have a nightmarish quality. The Great Day of His Wrath (Tate Gallery, London) is typical of his apocalyptic style.

Born near Hexham in Northumberland, he began his career as heraldic coach painter in Newcastle but, settling in London 1806, made his mark by scenes of fantasy, of doomed cities and supernal wrath, stupendous in the theatrical effect attained by placing small figures in vast settings with tunnel-like effects of perspective. The Bible and works of John Milton suggested many of his themes. He first came to critical attention with Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion.

Other examples of his work are The Plains of Heaven 1851–53 and the apocalyptic The Last Judgement 1853 (both Tate Gallery, London). Martin often made mezzotint engravings from his own work. He also illustrated Milton's Paradise Lost.

Martin, John (1893–1985)

US dance critic and author. Appointed as the first dance critic for the New York Times in 1927, Martin championed nontraditional dance in his reviews and essays until his retirement in 1962. He wrote several dance books including the classic, The Modern Dance. Martin was born in Louisville, Kentucky.