Belshazzar's Feast (John Martin)

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John Martin, "Belshazzar's Feast," 1821; Half-size sketch, Yale Center for British Art

Belshazzar's Feast is an oil painting by the British artist John Martin (1789-1854) based on the Old Testament story known as the "Banquet of Belthazar", which Rembrandt also used as a template for a painting. It was first publicly displayed at the British Institution in February 1821 and won £ 200 as the best picture in the exhibition at the time. The painting established Martin's fame and was so popular that the crowd, unusual at the time, was cordoned off from the work. As a result, engravings from the work were also offered for sale to the public. The original is now in a private collection, two smaller "sketches" are in the possession of the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut and the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut .

theme

The biblical story shown in the picture comes from the book of Daniel . The king of Babylon , Belshazzar , is said to have profaned sacred vessels of the enslaved Israelites by having them used as wine vessels at a feast. A divine hand then appeared, writing on the wall in glowing letters - the origin of the English expression "the writing on the wall" - which the prophet Daniel interpreted as a sign of the imminent downfall of Belshazzar. Belshazzar was killed that night by Darius the Mede , who took over his kingdom.

history

It is the second painting in a trilogy on the theme of Mesopotamia, the first part of which, "The Fall of Babylon", was created by Martin in 1819. "The Fall of Ninevah" followed in 1828. The trilogy is said to have been inspired by a conversation with the American artist Washington Allston .

The panorama of a festival hall is shown, which is framed by pillars with zodiac signs. In the hall there are masses of celebrating Babylonians; the roof is open, and in the background you can see the Hanging Gardens of Babylon , the Tower of Babel and a ziggurat in the moonlight breaking through an opening in the dark cloud cover. The architectural styles are reminiscent of Egyptian, Babylonian and Indian models. Dressed in black, Daniel stands in the front center and interprets the supernatural writing on the wall. The shocked Belshazzar can be seen on the left, others are shocked by what happened.

Martin also published a pamphlet in which he explained the painting and identified the people and buildings. Although popular with the public, Martin's painting met with little success with critics. The pompous architecture and the emotional impact of the painting were praised, but its technique was criticized, particularly with regard to the execution of the people. Charles Lamb called the work vulgar and exaggerated.

Martin sold the painting to his former teacher, the glass painter William Collins, before the exhibition in 1821; the painting should not be reproduced until after Collins sold it. Collins had the painting exhibited across Britain and was very successful. The 45th edition of the pamphlet was published in 1826. In 1826 Martin prepared an engraving for sale, which Collins sued based on their agreement; Martin won with the argument that he did not use the work itself, but rather its preparatory sketches as templates for his engravings.

A reproduction of the picture hung in the salon of the Brontës parsonage and is said to have informed various aspects of the siblings' literary work.

The work was later sold and is currently part of a private collection. In 2011 it was exhibited at Tate Britain alongside a half-size sketch from 1820.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Myrone, Martin [ed.], John Martin: Apocalypse, London, Tate publishing, 2011, pp. 99-101. ISBN 1-85437-889-9