Week Two: Art Analysis

    Hello, everyone. Today, I would like to share with you one of my favorite paintings and the several different ways it uses the elements of art for deeper meaning and symbolism. The painting in question?

 The Seventh Plague of Egypt

By John Martin

    Painted in 1823 by English painter John Martin, this dramatic piece depicts the seventh plague that descended upon Egypt in the Biblical story of Moses, known as the Plague of Hail. "And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt." (Exodus 9:23)

    First and foremost, the pure drama that exudes from this piece is apparent. The swirling and ominous clouds that bring forth destruction, the bright lights and its intentional use, and the small scale of the terrified people in the painting evoke such a strong sense of grand power. Let's break some of this down.

Contrast

    One of this painting's biggest elements is its use of contrast and ways in which to interpret the composition. For example, you can split the painting in half from a diagonal line leading from the bottom left corner to the top right corner. The bottom right half would be all the buildings and structures of Egypt, and the top left half would be the looming destruction of the plague above. This can be interpreted as a contrast between the stability of the civilization of man and how it pales in comparison to the raw forces of divinely influenced nature above them.

Value 

    Another of the elements would be how the lighting emphasizes three main subjects, that being God's power in the sky, Moses himself with his brother Aaron, and the Egyptian monument to the left in the distance. This contrasts against the dark colors of the clouds and surrounding buildings and draws the eye. The light of God and the Egyptian monument could actually be seen as another contrast, where the monument is small and distant compared to the maelstrom above, signifying the power difference between the God of Moses and the Egyptian gods.

Perspective

    Something John Martin does very well in many of his works is his sense of scale. He would often paint large landscapes from an aerial view, letting you see much of the distance. This painting is no different in that regard, as the sense of distance you get is tangible, and the sense of scale feels accurate. The overwhelming largeness of the storm is conveyed very well here, in my opinion

My Opinion

    This painting is a favorite of mine. I'm a big fan of using perspective and scale to pull off these grand landscapes that make you feel awed, and this piece does that for me. I also like the fact that while the power and feeling of impending doom and fear is present in the painting, it's not overwhelming. You don't see a bunch of people getting blown up and buildings crashing on each other. Through the context of the scene, you know what is going on, and it's a more subtle type of destruction. It makes it more impactful, or perhaps memorable for me. Would implied carnage be an appropriate term? Regardless, I think it excels in what it set out to do, which was to depict a scene from the Bible in a fashion worthy of the story.

    If any of you are interested, John Martin did many other paintings of religious scenes along the same lines as this one, and they are also quite striking. In particular, Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still (1840) and The Last Judgement (1852) are ones I like, as well as a few of his non-religious works, such as The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum (1821) and The Bard (1817). I hope my analysis was able to increase your appreciation for this particular painting, and I hope you have a good rest of the week.

Sources Cited

Exodus Chapter 9:23 KJV (King James Version), www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Exodus-Chapter-9/#23. Accessed 13 Sept. 2024.

“John Martin (Painter).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Aug. 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Martin_(painter)

Seventh Plague of Egypt – Works – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, collections.mfa.org/objects/33665/seventh-plague-of-egypt. Accessed 13 Sept. 2024.