MARTIN, JOHN. 



MARTINBAU, HARRIET. 



114 



ud to the Academy in 1814 ' Clytle,' a work which was 



k*j_l In the nto-room, a* wa* abo hi* larger and more ambitious 

 titara. ' Joahua rr-3Ti '"-I the Sun to stand still' At the British 

 where the 'Joshua' wa* again exhibited the following 



M>W. It wa* nUned in a pott of honour, and awarded the prise. 

 MulC *uu iinleriTilj rrrT with the Academy for this treatment of 

 hit "graad work," and UM breach wa never healed : he removed his 

 MSB* from the Academy's book* a< a candidate for membenhip, and 

 a* a _*c****ry ooneequenoe, according to the lawi of the Academy, he 

 _rr*r r*o*ired any academic distinction. With the picture iUelf, and 

 it met with, he wa* howerer abundantly aatiiBed. " The 

 1 1 had in my power*,' Martin write*, "wa* justified, for the 

 i of my ' Joahua' opened a new era to me. In 1818 I removed 

 to aapecto* hooil, and had to devote my time mainly to executing 

 * r profitable work* ; but in 1819 I produced the ' Kail 

 i waa second only to the ' Belshuzar ' in the attention 

 fallowing year came ' Macbeth,' one of my most sue- 

 .e; then, in 1831, 'BaUhanar's Feast/ an elaborate 

 ' oeeupis J a year in executing, and which received the 

 premium of SOW. from the British Institution." 



Thee* works, and especially the ' Delshauar's Feast,' were of a kind 

 then quite new, and took the London public by storm. A sturdy 

 mynrftton waa railed ; but for the time it waa borne down by the 

 tide of popularity. It was loudly declared and pretty 

 tiered that a new era wat opened to art, as well as to the 

 painter's etlf ; and the engravings quickly made the artisU's " sublime 

 - familiar from ode end of the island to the other. 



to 4% MIIMfiOf oOQMy 



on* immediately pi 

 of Babylon,' which 



. - : : . : 



Nor was be 



to follow up his maces* : 'The Destruction of Herculaneum ' 

 appeared in 1823 ; the ' Seventh Plague,' and the ' Paphian Bower ;' in 

 .he 'Creation;' in 1826, the 'Deluge;' and in 1828 the 'Fall 

 of Nineveh,' perhaps the meet popular of all hi* picture* after the 

 'Belabauar.' He wa* now however ao much engroated with engraving, 



and with various eohemee for the improvement of London, and other 

 project*, that for awhile hi* pencil wa* somewhat lees 

 . employed, and when he resumed it* exercise he discovered 

 that the spell was broken. Hi* later picture* indeed found admirers, 

 but they were few a* compared to those which greeted his earlier 

 work*, and infinitely lea* enthusiastic. Yet he went on to the last 

 painting abject* no lees awful than those which had originally 

 captivated the public eye. Thus during the hut twelve or four- 

 teen yean of hie life he painted ' The Death of MOM*,' and 'The 

 death of Jacob.' 1888; 'The Eve of the Deluge,' 'The Assuaging of 

 the Water*,' 1840; 'The Celeetial City and Itiver of Blias,' and 

 'Pandemonium,' 1841; 'Flight into Egypt,' 1842; 'Christ (tilling 

 the Tempeet,' and 'Canute the Great rebuking hi* Courtiers,' 1843; 

 Morning,' and ' Evening,' 1844 ;' The Judgment of Adam and Eve,' 

 and "The Kail of Adam,' 1846; ' Evening coming storm,' 1846; 

 ' Arthur and &> in the Happy Valley,' 1849;' The Last Man,' 1860 ; 

 ' Valley of the Thames viewed from Richmond Hill,' 1851. 



The last picture be exhibited during his life wa* a ' Scene in a 

 Forcet Twilight' (1852). He wa* now engaged on *J aerie* of three 

 grand painting*, illustrative of the ' Last Judgment,' which he fondly 

 hoped would be hi* master-work, and h* laboured steadily at them till 

 a few wsskl before hi* death. Then suffering under a paralytic attack 

 ho set out in the hope of improving hi* health to Douglas, Isle of Man, 

 where, at the house of Thomas WuVm, E*q., be died February 9th, 1854. 

 His remain* wen interred in the lonely cemetery of Kirk Braddan, 

 aa the String Road, a few mile* from Douglas. Hi* three pictures, 

 'The Last Judgment,' 'The Great Day of Wrath,' and "The Plains 

 of Heave*,' have since hi* death bean exhibited in London and the 

 IIIIH ***. A* might be expected from the nature of the subject*, 

 and the circumstance* voder which they were painted, suffering under 

 the mftrmiOe* of age. with mind and body both enfeebled, they are 

 comparative failure*, having all the worst fault* and mannerisms 

 of the painter'* earlier pictures, and only few of their redeeming 

 "*. 



wa* undoubtedly an original painter, and possessed a very 

 - of imagination ; and in the expression of material 

 and might of nature, in contrast with 



tJMweakiM**andUMi*ne*orm*n,- h* wa* eminently luooetaful. At 

 IMS* out by repetition the conception bad been rendered common- 

 plae. and uniapr-arive, thi* wa* unquestionably the cat* ; and tho 



popularity of hi* early picture*, while the manner was 

 new. can be readily understood, but Martin did not perceive that 

 hi* wa* a trick of etylo which would not bear often repeating; and he 



i of jaoed lightning or stream* of dauling sunshine; 

 never xlvmocing beyond a harsh and niggling touch, or attaining to 

 anything better than a crude and conventional system of colour. 

 8*e_>g only two, or at meet three, of hi* picture*, h* might be pro- 



JTbT.iin^tol.el'^ 1 * ^V^^!* 1 * 1 -^ K^t. 

 vaUon, and jodffmeot. 



. . 



rt bit ddWeixrie. of ta-to, ob. 



It ha* been laid that during many year* the subject of the improve- 

 Me* of London occupied much of hi* time and thought A* early a* 



1828 hi* idea* had taken a definite shape, and he gave them to the 

 public in a ' Plan for supplying with pure water the Cities of London 

 and Westminster, and improving the western end of the metropolis ; ' 

 and he continued to publish new and revised editions almost down to 

 his death. The following is hi* own account of his labours in this 

 line, contained in hi* contribution to the ' Athounrum ' already referred 

 to : " My attention was first occupied in endeavouring to procure an 

 improved supply of pure water to London, diverting the sewage from 

 the river, and rendering it available as manure ; and in 1827 and 1828 

 I published plans for the purpose. In 1829 I published further plans 

 for accomplishing the same objects by different means, namely, a weir 

 across the Thames, and for draining the marshy lands, kc., &<x In 

 1832, 1834, 1836, 1838, 1842, 1843, 1846, and 1847, I published and 

 republUbed additional particulars, beiug so bent upon my object that 

 I was determined never to abandon it, and though I have reaped no 

 other advantage, I have at least the satisfaction of knowing that the 

 agitation thus kept up constantly, solely by myself, ha* resulted in a 

 vast alteration iu the quantity and quality of the water supplied by 

 the companies, and in the establishment of a Board of Health, which 

 will, in all probability, eventually carry out most of the objects I have 

 been so long urging. Amongst the other proposals which I have 

 advanced is my railway connecting the river and docks, with all tho 

 railways that diverge from London, and apparently approved by the 

 Railway Termini Commissioners, as the line they intimate coincides 

 with that submitted by me, and published in their report ; the prin- 

 ciple of rail adopted by the Great Western line ; the lighthouse for 

 the sands, appropriated by Mr. Walker in his Maplin Sand Lighthouse ; 

 the flat anchor and wire cable; mode of ventilating coal mines ; 

 floating harbour and pier ; iron ship, and various other inventions of 

 comparatively minor importance, but all conducing to the groat ends 

 of improving the health of the country, increasing the produce of tho 

 hind, and furnishing employment for the people in remunerative 

 works." .He also took out potent* for water and sewer-pipes, Ac. 



Besides' his great picture* Mr. Martin painted a great number of 

 water-colour landscapes very elaborately wrought out ; he also made 

 some drawings for books, including 'Paradise Lost and Regained,' 

 ' Pilgrim's Progress,' ic., for which he received large sums, but 

 which, though popular in their day, now seem for the most part 

 strangely infelicitous a* illustrations. For the Milton illustrations he 

 is said to have received 2000 guinea*. 



MARTINEAU, HARRIET, is descended from a family of French 

 extraction, who were compelled to leave their country in consequence 

 of tho revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and settled at Norwich, 

 where for several generations they carried on tho business of silk- 

 manufacturer*. Harriet, the youngest of eight children, was born at 

 Norwich in June 1602, The substantial brick-house in which her 

 father resided for many years is now pointed out to strangers as her 

 birthplace. Her education had been chiefly received at home, and 

 wa* solid rather than showy. Her self-culture was unremitting ; for 

 a partial deafness, contracted in her youth, threw her very much upon 

 her own internal resources for pleasure and improvement. She evinced 

 a very early talent for composition ; and the habit of writing, which 

 wa* originally her amusement, became the real business of lur lirV. 

 Her father became embarrassed in his commercial affairs; and the 

 numerous member* of the family of the supposed-wealthy manufacturer 

 were thrown upon their own unaided resources. In tho hour of neces- 

 sity the wonderful energy of Harriet Martineau was signally manifested. 

 With a noble pride she resolved to be independent ; and the did not 

 scorn to add to her little resources by the humble industry of 

 needlework. But in literature she saw the means of support 1 1 . 

 he published a volume of ' Devotions for Young People." This shu 

 followed up by her ' Christmas Day,' in 1824 ; to which, in tho follow- 

 ing year, she added a sequel, called ' The Friend.' In 1826 appeared 

 her ' Rioters,' and ' Principle and Practice,' succeeded next year by 

 ' The Turn out ' and 'Mary Campbell.' In 1828 she published a tale, 

 called ' My Servant Rachel ; ' a aerie* of small ' Tract* ' on questions 

 relating to the working clause* ; and a sequel to ' Principle and 1'ractice.' 

 In 1 Sao she selected a loftier subject for her pen in tho ' Traditions of 

 Palestine,' a work containing most interesting and graphic sketches 

 of that country in the time of Christ. 



In tho early part of 1830 the committee of tho British and Foreign 

 Unitarian Association offered prizes for the production of three tracts 

 on the ' Introduction and Promotion of Christian Uuitarianism among 

 the Roman Catholic*, the Jews, and Mahometans.' Three distinct 

 sot* of judge* were appointed to decide on the comparative merits of 

 the essay* sent in for competition, and each set of judge* awarded tho 

 price to the composition of Harriet Martineau : the titles of her essays 



The Faith as unfolded by many Prophet*,' 'Providence as 

 manifested through Israel,' and ' The Essential Faith of the Universal 

 Church.' Still tho reputation of Mis* Martineau was in a great degree 

 limited to a small circle, when ehe conceived the bold idea of publishing 

 a monthly aerie* of tales, that should illustrate tho leading doctrines 

 of political economy. To tho publishers of that day, the notion of what 

 was dreuied the most dry and difficult of studies being rendered 

 amusing appeared littlo more than an absurdity. The Society for tho 

 Diffusion of Useful Knowledge also unwisely rejected the proposition, 

 for the sober and unimaginative majority of their committee shrank 

 from "truth severe iu fairy fiction drees'd." The Illustrations of 



