38 ON THE GENIUS OF JOHN MARTIN. 



We have thus endeavoured to point out to our readers, what 

 we consider to be the prevailing claims which Mr. Martin has to 

 take a very high and distinguished rank among the artists of Great 

 Britain ; and we have now to enquire, and very briefly, in what 

 way those claims have been received and acknowledged first, by 

 his brother artists, and secondly, by those who rejoice in the title 

 of Patrons of British Art. By the first of these classes, taking 

 them individually, we are happy to say that our artist has been 

 judged according to the full award of his merits; and has had 

 every claim which justice could award him; yet, as if to add 

 another proof to the true inconsistency of man, or of the nature 

 which rules within him as if to shew, we had almost said, what 

 the overbearing spirit of jealousy and power can do what shall 

 we say to that great body of British Artists, who constitute the 

 members of the Royal Academy, when the truth stares them, and 

 the whole world, in the face 



THAT JOHN MARTIN IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY. 



But if this be a blot and an indelible stain of disgrace upon the 

 Royal Academy, what shall we say to those pttttito-patrOBS of 

 Pritish Art, who profess their auxirtv to support the FINE ARTS 

 in this country ? What shall we say to them, when they own, as 

 own they must, that they never yet gave Martin one single com- 

 mission, and never yet purchased one of his pictures '? The only 

 excuse we can naturally offer for the insanity of their conduct is, 

 that the magnificent conceptions of our artist are of far too exalted a 

 nature for their grovelling comprehensions. But the time is now 

 gone by, and, as if in illustration of the old proverb of a prophet 

 receiving no honour in his own country justice, and tardy jus- 

 tice has at length been done to John Martin, but not by his own 

 countrymen ; no, an infant kingdom has been the first, and hi- 

 therto the only one, to do justice to our artist. 



Early in the summer advertisements were inserted in the daily 

 papers inviting artists to send their pictures to the ensuing exhi- 

 bition of art in Brussels ; and our artist was among those who 

 availed themselves of this invitation and immediately forwarded 

 his Nineveh with some other pictures to the scene of exhibition. 

 The result was one highly gratifying in every respect to this ex- 

 cellent artist himself, and flattering likewise to those amongst 

 whom he was here as a brother. The King of Belgium immedi- 

 ately honoured him with the order of Leopold he was elected, 

 without solicitation, a member of the Belgic Academy, and the 



