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John Martin  1789-1854

John Martin The Last Judgement 1853
The Last Judgement  1853

Oil on canvas
support: 1968 x 3258 mm
painting

Bequeathed by Charlotte Frank in memory of her husband Robert Frank 1974

T01927

This picture illustrates the central event of the book of Revelation. On a throne in the heavens sits Christ in judgement, surrounded by the four and twenty elders. Below on the right the forces of evil, commanded by Satan, are defeated and tumble into a bottomless pit. To the left on Mount Zion are ‘the good’, already in ‘the plains of heaven’ and awaiting the call to appear before the throne. Martin included a high percentage of artists and poets among the good; these were identified (as were many of the evil characters) in a chart which he published to accompany the picture.

 (From the display caption March 2010)