The Prophecy

The Prophecy from 1830 by John Martin depicts a biblical prophetic vision with the dramatic intensity characteristic of his mature work. Martin's biblical subjects tapped into the profound religious anxieties and millennial expectations of the early nineteenth century. Martin, largely self-taught, created apocalyptic visions on an unprecedented scale, filling enormous canvases with architectural fantasy and cosmic drama that made him briefly the most popular painter in Britain.

The prophetic scene is rendered with Martin's characteristic dramatic lighting and vast spatial composition, creating a sense of divine revelation.