KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



159 



The two now under notice are part of the 

 series ; the poetry of each being by our own 

 favorite, Eliza Cook, — the music by Henry 

 Aspinall West, R.A.M., who has evidently 

 entered feelingly into the task (pleasure ?) 

 allotted him, and acquitted himself well. 



Everybody knows the poetry of these 

 popular melodies by heart. Let them quickly 

 become as well acquainted with their musical 

 excellencies ! 



OBITUASY. 



JOHN MARTIN, THE PAINTER. 



SO EXTRAORDINARY A MAN AS JOHN 



Martin must not die without leaving behind 

 him, in our pages, some record of his event- 

 ful life. A short summary will suffice to do 

 him honor , for his works yet live to speak 

 eloquently of his great and singular talent. 



Mr. John Martin, the painter, died at 

 Douglas, in the Isle of Man, on the 17th of 

 Jan. last, in his 65th year. He was born at 

 Haydonbridge,near Hexham, in Northumber- 

 land, in 1789, and received his elementary 

 education at the free school of that place. 

 Having from his earliest years " determined 

 to be a painter," and his family having re- 

 moved to Newcastle, he was, at fourteen years 

 of age, bound apprentice to a coach-builder 

 of that town, on the understanding that he 

 was to be taught the art of coach and heraldic 

 painting ; but, being subjected to the mere 

 drudgery of the trade, he, at the end of the 

 first year, resented the non-performance of 

 the stipulation with spirit and success, the 

 magistrates ordering the indentures to be 

 cancelled as he wished. 



He was then placed under an Italian draw- 

 ing-master, Signor Musso, the father of the 

 celebrated Charles Muss, the enamel painter. 

 Young Muss having settled in London as a 

 glass and china painter, encouraged young 

 Martin to come to him, and gave him em- 

 ployment under his firm. He arrived in town 

 in his eighteenth year, in 180G. Whilst 

 working all day at china painting, he spent 

 many hours at night in the acquirement of 

 those branches of knowledge which he 

 deemed essential in the arts, especially archi- 

 tecture and perspective. 



In 1809, when twenty years old, he mar- 

 ried. About that time the firm to which Mr. 

 Muss belonged was dissolved, and the two 

 friends were employed by Mr. Collins of the 

 Strand. John Martin went on making water- 

 color drawings at night, and even contrived 

 to paint his first oil picture of " Clytie " for 

 the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1810. That 

 year it was rejected, but when again offered 

 the next season it was received, and tolerably 

 well hung in the great room. In 1812 he 

 exhibited his " Sadakin Search of the Waters 

 of Oblivion," the first striking indication of 



his genius; and in 1815 he obtained £100 

 premium at the British Institution for his 

 "Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand 

 Still." He produced the " Fall of Babylon ,T 

 in 1819; his "Macbeth and the Witches " 

 followed; and in 1821 appeared his memor- 

 able " Belshazzar's Feast," which produced a 

 wonderful sensation, and obtained a premium 

 of £200 at the British Institution. The 

 " Destruction of Herculaneum " was less suc- 

 cessful. Then came the " Seventh Plague ' T 

 and the " Paphian Bower ; " the " Creation " 

 in 1824, and in 1826 the " Deluge," which 

 was afterwards exhibited at the French 

 Exhibition. 



In the full force of his energies he com- 

 menced his "Fall of Nineveh," which came 

 before the world in 1828. For some years 

 subsequently, Mr. Martin's time and industry 

 were chiefly employed in engraving from 

 his pictures ; and the ingenuity with which 

 he applied new modes of varying the texture 

 and perspective effects of large mezzotinto 

 plates led to the progressive improvement so 

 conspicuous in that department of art. But 

 whilst thus engaged, he was almost forgotten 

 as a painter, and it was only when he pro- 

 duced his picture of the " Coronation of 

 Queen Victoria " that the world renewed its 

 acquaintance with him. His pictures hung 

 neglected on his walls : none but men of 

 science or artists went to see them, whilst 

 his quarrel with the Royal Academy kept 

 him from exhibiting. But when the Coro- 

 nation picture once more attracted the 

 fashionable world, praise and patronage 

 returned in full tide. The late Earl Grey 

 first purchased his "Arethusa." The Duchess 

 of Sunderland next gave him a commission 

 for the "Assuaging of the Waters after the 

 Deluge." Mr. Fergusson, Prince Albert, and 

 Mr. Scarisbrook, became purchasers of his 

 finest works. 



Notwithstanding the extraordinary amount 

 I of industry spent on his pictures and engrav- 

 ings, nearly as much time and the larger 

 portions of his earnings were expended on 

 engineering plans for the improvement of 

 London, the embankment of the Thames, 

 and the drainage of the town ; and on the 

 ventilation of mines, lighthouses, and the 

 improvement of our harbours. The money he 

 actually expended on those ingenious projects 

 must have exceeded £10,000, a large sum to 

 I be taken from the earnings of an artist, who, 

 though temperate beyond most men, had his 

 house always open to poor relations and a 

 large circle of friends. Mr. Martin was 

 seized with the illness which has terminated 

 his career, on the 12th November. While 

 painting and apparently in the enjoyment of 

 good health, he was suddenly attacked with 

 a paralytic stroke, which deprived him of 

 the use of his speech, and of his right 



