John Martin (British, 1789–1854)
Ruins of an Ancient City
c. 1810–20
John Martin's 'Ruins of an Ancient City' (1810s) is a characteristic apocalyptic landscape by the English Romantic painter who specialised in vast biblical catastrophes. Columns, vaults, and statues collapse into a smoking void beneath a dramatic sky, anticipating Martin's mezzotint 'Paradise Lost' illustrations of the 1820s. Oil on paper mounted on canvas, Cleveland Museum of Art.
Exhibition Venue
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