Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 88 works by John Martin in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals John Martin left, the most famous is The Great Day of His Wrath (1851), in the collection of the Tate Britain, London. Close behind it come The Destruction of Sodom And Gomorrah (1852) and The Evening of the Deluge (1828). Our catalog holds 88 works by John Martin; the gallery has kept the 87 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
In the heart of the nineteenth century, few images could stir the Victorian soul with as much terror and awe as John Martin’s The Great Day of His Wrath. This monumental oil on canvas is not merely a painting; it is a visceral experience of the sublime. As the eye wanders across the vast, turbulent landscape, one is immediately struck by the sheer scale of destruction. The scene captures the…
The heavens do not merely darken; they fracture. A massive, swirling vortex of fiery clouds dominates the upper reaches of the canvas, a celestial furnace that seems to swallow the very air. Light does not fall from above in a gentle glow but erupts from the center of a cosmic explosion. It is a violent, directional radiance that carves the landscape into jagged silhouettes of deep black and shadowy blue.…
To stand before John Martin's monumental vision, The Evening of the Deluge, is not merely to observe a painting; it is to be submerged within an epochal moment of divine wrath and human fragility. Created in 1828, this work transcends simple depiction, becoming instead a profound meditation on humanity’s place against the overwhelming power of nature. Martin, a master chronicler of the sublime, utilized his immense scale—a staggering 597 x…
In the engraving Eve, John Martin captures a moment of profound spiritual weight. Created about 1827, the print presents a scene of divine confrontation. Two angelic figures dominate the center of the frame. One angel clutches a sword with an expression of palpable distress, while the other holds the weapon aloft, a symbol of celestial authority. Below them, the human condition is laid bare through two men: one attempts to…
The canvas bears the title Great Day of His Wrath. It is a work by the English romantic painter John Martin. Created in 1851, the painting captures a moment of profound upheaval. It exists as a single movement within a larger triptych of judgement pictures. This series draws its heavy inspiration from the Book of Revelation.
John Martin's "Destruction of Tyre," completed in 1840, is not merely a depiction of a historical event; it is a visceral embodiment of Romanticism’s fascination with the sublime – that overwhelming feeling of awe and terror inspired by nature’s power. Measuring an imposing 95 x 838 cm, this oil on canvas transports the viewer directly into the heart of apocalyptic chaos. The scene, based on the biblical account in 2…
The scene unfolds through the vision of Satan in Council, a dramatic work by the English romantic painter John Martin. This composition captures a moment of intense celestial and infernal tension, pulling the viewer into a realm of shadow and light. The work is also recognized by the title Satan presiding at the Infernal Council, a name that speaks to the heavy authority commanding the assembly. It exists as a…
The Sublime Terror of the Infernal Capital In the annals of Romanticism, few images command the eye with such overwhelming dread and grandeur as John Martin’s Pandemonium. Painted in 1841, this oil on canvas is not merely a depiction of a scene; it is an immersive descent into the heart of cosmic chaos. The viewer is immediately confronted by the sheer, terrifying scale of Hell’s capital, where the architecture of…
The heavens fracture as the destruction of Babylon unfolds in this dramatic vision by John Martin. The scene captures a terrifying Old Testament biblical narrative, where the once-mighty city faces its ultimate end. Chaos reigns as the landscape is swallowed by upheaval, reflecting a moment of divine judgment that feels immediate and overwhelming. The scale of the catastrophe looms large, turning the sprawling cityscape into a site of profound human…
The scene unfolds within a vast, architectural interior where a long dining table occupies the central space. Around this table, fourteen figures are positioned in various states of repose and movement. Some individuals sit in chairs, while others kneel or stand near the edges of the gathering. The table is laden with food and drink, set against a backdrop of grand, structural elements. Above the assembly, a clock hangs upon…
The Plains of Heaven
12
The Great Day of His Wrath
13
Satan Arousing the Fallen Angels, Book 1, line 314, from John Milton, Paradise Lost1824
14
The Last Man1849 · Walker Art Gallery
15
Landscape with a Castle1815 · Yale Center for British Art
16
Plate fromTate Britain
17
Ancestor Worship1964 · National Gallery of Canada
18
Moonlight - Chepstow Castle1815 · Art Gallery of South Australia
19
Sadak in Search of the Waters of OblivionMuseum of Fine Arts
20
Kensington Garden1815 · Yale Center for British Art
21
Kensington Garden1815 · Yale Center for British Art
22
Kensington Gardens1815 · Yale Center for British Art
23
Landscape, Possibly the Isle of Wight or Richmond Hill1815 · Yale Center for British Art
24
Hyde Park1815 · Yale Center for British Art
25
The Court of God: Paradise Lost (Book 3, Line 365)1824 · National Gallery of Canada
26
Diogenes Throwing Away His Cup1833
27
Alpheus and Arethusa1832
28
The Deluge1834
29
Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still1840 · Yale Center for British Art
30
The Assuaging of the Waters1840 · Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
31
Twilight in the woodlands1850 · Fitzwilliam Museum
32
Landscape: View in Richmond Park1850 · Fitzwilliam Museum
33
The Last Judgement (study)1851 · Yale Center for British Art
34
Christ Stilleth the Tempest1852 · Йоркський художній музей
35
F shaw brothers tannery maineBavarian State Painting Collections
36
Paradise Lost. Adam and Eve Driven out of Paradise
37
Seventh Plague
38
Gleaners in the Wheat Field
39
The Last JudgementTate Britain
40
The Isle of Man
41
The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
42
The Valley of the Tyne, My Native Country, near Henshaw
43
Destruction of Pharaoh's Host
44
The Covenant
45
Figures Seated by a Lake in a Wooded Landscape
46
Psalm CXXVII (by the Waters of Babylon)
47
Moses Breaketh the Tables
48
A Man Playing a Harp with other Figures beside a Lake
49
Ruins of an Ancient CityCleveland Museum of Art
50
Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon
51
Landscape with a Ruined Castle
52
Edwin and Angelina (also known as The Hermit)
53
The Plains of Heaven1851 · Tate Britain
54
Repentance of Nineveh1840 · Yale University Art Gallery
55
The country of the Iguanodon1837 · Te Papa
56
Plate fromTate Britain
57
Plate fromTate Britain
58
Fall of the Rebel AngelsHarvard Art Museums
59
Paradise Lost. The Creation of Light
60
Flood at night
61
David Spareth Saul at Hachilah
62
Fall of the Walls of Jericho
63
Fantastic Oriental Landscape
64
Fall of the Rebel Angels
65
Christ's glorious coming
66
The Assuaging of the Waters
67
Creation of Light
68
View on the River Wye, Looking towards Chepstow
69
Joshua commanding the Sun to stand still
70
Eve's Dream - Satan aroused
71
The Fallen Angels Entering Pandemonium, from Paradise LostTate Britain
72
View of Dolbadern Castle, North Wales
73
A Country Graveyard, Possibly Bunhill Fields, Finsbury, A Wooded Landscape Beyond
74
Belshazzar1820 · Yale Center for British Art
75
Manfred and the Alpine Witch1837 · Whitworth Art Gallery
76
Pandemonium - John Martin2026
77
Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion1812 · Saint Louis Art Museum
78
Seventh Plague of EgyptMuseum of Fine Arts
79
The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum1822
80
Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon1816 · National Gallery of Art
81
The Eve of the Deluge1840 · Royal Collection
82
Manfred on the Jungfrau1837 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
83
The Celestial City and the River of Bliss1841
84
Macbeth
85
The Coronation of Queen VictoriaTate Britain
86
The Bard1817 · Yale Center for British Art
87
The Deluge1834 · Yale Center for British Art
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by John Martin | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Yale Center for British Art |
New Haven | 11 | Landscape with a Castle, Kensington Garden, Kensington Garden |
 Tate Britain |
London | 8 | The Great Day of His Wrath, Plate from, The Last Judgement |
 Te Papa |
Wellington | 2 | Eve, The country of the Iguanodon |
 National Gallery of Canada |
Ottawa | 2 | Ancestor Worship, The Court of God: Paradise Lost (Book 3, Line 365) |
 Museum of Fine Arts |
Boston | 2 | Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion, Seventh Plague of Egypt |
 Fitzwilliam Museum |
2 | Twilight in the woodlands, Landscape: View in Richmond Park | |
 Laing Art Gallery |
Newcastle upon Tyne | 1 | The Destruction of Sodom And Gomorrah |
 Victoria and Albert Museum |
London | 1 | The Evening of the Deluge |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
A distant castle perches atop a jagged hill, silhouetted against a turbulent sky. The composition relies on heavy, dark foreground elements that direct the eye toward a luminous middle ground. Earthy tones of deep brown, ochre, and forest green dominate the terrain, while a dramatic sky of slate grey and pale yellow breaks through the clouds. Light emanates from behind the cloud cover, casting a sharp spotlight effect across the…
To stand before John Martin's monumental vision, The Evening of the Deluge, is not merely to observe a painting; it is to be submerged within an epochal moment of divine wrath and human fragility. Created in 1828, this work transcends simple depiction, becoming instead a profound meditation on humanity’s place against the overwhelming power of nature. Martin, a master chronicler of the sublime, utilized his immense scale—a staggering 597 x…
John Martin's "Destruction of Tyre," completed in 1840, is not merely a depiction of a historical event; it is a visceral embodiment of Romanticism’s fascination with the sublime – that overwhelming feeling of awe and terror inspired by nature’s power. Measuring an imposing 95 x 838 cm, this oil on canvas transports the viewer directly into the heart of apocalyptic chaos. The scene, based on the biblical account in 2…
In the heart of the nineteenth century, few images could stir the Victorian soul with as much terror and awe as John Martin’s The Great Day of His Wrath. This monumental oil on canvas is not merely a painting; it is a visceral experience of the sublime. As the eye wanders across the vast, turbulent landscape, one is immediately struck by the sheer scale of destruction. The scene captures the…
The Great Day of His Wrath (1851), Tate Britain, London. The Destruction of Sodom And Gomorrah (1852) and The Evening of the Deluge (1828) come next.
62 years old: The Great Day of His Wrath dates from 1851, and John Martin was born in 1789.
The Great Day of His Wrath, The Destruction of Sodom And Gomorrah, The Evening of the Deluge, Eve, Great Day of His Wrath, Destruction of Tyre, Satan in Council, Pandemonium, Fall of Babylon and Belshazzar's Feast. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 88 works by John Martin, dated from 1812 to 1852.
Mostly in Yale Center for British Art (New Haven), Tate Britain (London) and Te Papa (Wellington). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1810s: 10 of the 87 works on this page were made then, Landscape with a Castle among them.
On this page, the earliest is Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion (1812) and the latest The Destruction of Sodom And Gomorrah (1852).
People (13), Landscape (12) and Mountains (8), across the 87 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 16 of the 87 works on this page.
Romanticism, judging by the originals on this page.
Landscape with a Castle, Kensington Garden and Kensington Garden: the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven holds 11 of the works on this page.
John Martin (1789-1854) was a celebrated English romantic painter, engraver, and illustrator whose dramatic compositions captivated the Victorian public. Born in Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, on July 19, 1789, he rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most popular artists of his day, renowned for his vast landscapes populated by minute figures and depicting biblical scenes and fantastical narratives with a powerful sense of scale and emotion.
Martin's early life was marked by practical pursuits. He was apprenticed to a coachbuilder in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he learned heraldic painting – a skill that would later inform his meticulous attention to detail. In 1806, he moved to London, marrying at the age of nineteen and supporting himself through drawing lessons and commissions for watercolors and decorative work on china and glass. This period honed his technical skills while allowing him to explore various artistic mediums. His early works show a developing interest in dramatic lighting and composition, foreshadowing his later signature style.
Martin's distinctive style is characterized by its grand scale, melodramatic intensity, and meticulous detail. He frequently depicted biblical subjects, such as The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and Belshazzar’s Feast, with a theatrical flair that resonated deeply with audiences. His landscapes, like Harnham Church, near Salisbury, demonstrated his ability to capture serene countryside scenes while maintaining a sense of grandeur. Key works showcasing his artistic prowess include:
John Martin achieved considerable recognition during his lifetime. He was referred to as "the most popular painter of his day" by Walter Sickert in 1821 and received a gold medal from the Russian Tsar Nicholas I. He was awarded the Order of Leopold from Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, becoming the official historical painter to Prince Leopold. His works were exhibited at both the National Gallery and the Tate Gallery, solidifying his place within the British art establishment.
Despite a period of relative obscurity after his death on February 17, 1854, Martin’s work has experienced a resurgence in appreciation. Today, his paintings are recognized for their unique blend of Romantic drama, meticulous detail, and imaginative scope. His influence can be seen in the works of later artists, including James Francis Danby, who was inspired by Martin's dramatic landscapes. John Martin remains an important figure in British art history, celebrated for his ability to transport viewers to epic worlds filled with both awe-inspiring beauty and terrifying power.
