The Eve of the Deluge by John Martin, Genesis 7:1-16, Bible.Gallery
Artwork Description
In this portrayal from the Old Testament, we witness the scene where Methuselah, the venerable figure with a white beard, rests on an elevated ledge, encircled by Noah's family. Methuselah has guided Noah to unfurl a prophetic scroll, which, owing to the alignment of the sun, moon, and comet in the sky above, foretells the impending cataclysmic flood ordained by God. A pair of circling ravens heightens the ominous atmosphere, while revellers from the antediluvian era continue their oblivious dance in the middle ground, unaware of the impending devastation. Martin had previously created a small mezzotint of the same theme to accompany John Galt's "The Ouranoulogos or The Celestial Vision" in 1833.
Emerging from humble beginnings in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where he initially worked as a heraldic painter for a coach builder, John Martin transitioned to London, where he carved out a prosperous career as a painter, illustrator, engraver, and engineer. By the time of this painting, he had firmly established his reputation, having first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1811 and gaining immense popularity with the public for his paintings.
It is likely that Prince Albert's appreciation for Martin's work was influenced by his uncle Leopold I, the King of the Belgians, who had engaged Martin as a Historical Landscape Painter during his short marriage to Princess Charlotte (1816-17). This connection continued when Leopold moved to Brussels in 1831: the Belgian government acquired Martin's "The Fall of Nineveh" in 1833, he became a member of the Belgian Academy, and later was inducted into the Order of Leopold.
Prince Albert's initial visit to Martin's studio took place in 1839, preceding his marriage. He made several subsequent visits after he permanently settled in England in February of the following year. Leopold, the artist's son, recollected that John Martin greatly valued the Prince's insights into art history: 'The enlightened criticisms of the Prince deeply impressed him as being judicious, thoughtful, and kind, revealing a truly refined and extensive knowledge of art' (Balston 1947, p.202-3). According to Leopold, it was Prince Albert who, upon viewing Martin's "The Deluge" (New Haven, Yale Center for British Art) during one of these visits, proposed the idea of a trilogy depicting the flood story. This trilogy would comprise "The Eve of the Deluge" as a prelude and "The Assuagement of the Waters" (San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts) depicting the aftermath. The Duchess of Sutherland, who served as the Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria, commissioned "The Assuagement of the Waters." "The Eve of the Deluge" was initially displayed in Prince Albert's Dressing Room at Buckingham Palace, and the mezzotint reproduction, issued two years after the painting, was dedicated to the Prince.
This painting encapsulates the early Romantic inclination for the sublime and the visionary. Martin's works were marked by rich imagination and frequently utilized dramatic perspectives to underscore humanity's insignificance within the vast expanse of nature. It's possible that he personally observed the Great Comet of 1811-12 and the return of Halley's Comet in 1835. During this era, the biblical flood theme was contentious, given that contemporary geological and paleontological discoveries were challenging the notion that the Earth was as young as suggested by a literal reading of the Old Testament. Martin supplemented the trio of paintings with an eight-page pamphlet that delved into a plethora of esoteric literary influences and extensively quoted passages from Byron's "sublime poem," "Heaven and Earth."