"Great Day of his Wrath" - John Martin

Do you know what it feels like to have your city fall into a massive hole and you go down with it? Well the people in John Martin’s painting do. John Martin demonstrates the ability to portray this apoctiliptic landscape with vibrant colors and sweeping brush strokes. In order to understand this beautiful piece of work you must focus on the fine detail within this magnificent piece of work.

The Great David’s Wrath is puts into the viewer’s mind a lot of destruction and death. I get this impression because there is a massive hole that everything seems to be going into; there is burning cities falling into this hellish pit of doom. There is a lot of contrast with the different colors and the way the sky seems to be falling. To me, it’s the ultimate death, the ultimate sacrifice. In a way, the whole painting seems to be flowing together. I think this because I see all the destruction and pain in the picture.

Martin effectively uses the elements of vibrant color and balance in his horrific landscape. Martin seems to make the painting with a big, introverted triangle, like a funnel. The burning cities and crumbling mountains seem to be going down this inverted triangle. At the bottom of the triangle is a dark, hellish pit. The picture is also divided into separate thirds. In the upper right/left there is a mountain collapsing and destruction of cities. In the lower right/left there are people in agony, falling to there death.

He is trying to point out the problems in the world, and also the strength of Mother Nature. Also, he is trying to say that human kind has not been good and it looks like God is taking his anger out on the Earth. Next, the painting makes me feel bad for the world because of all the death and destruction that is going on in the painting.

Martin’s landscape showcases his ability to portray the suffering of humanity while using solid artistic technique. John Martin can make even death beautiful. In my opinion, The Great Day of his Wrath disserves to be shown in the Tate gallery in London England.