Belshazzar's Feast

John Martin is known for sublime compositions with tiny figures overwhelmed by catastrophic landscapes, carefully delineated architectural structures, and a virtuoso rendering of perspective. An accomplished painter and printmaker, Martin produced more than one hundred mezzotints after his own work. The medium's rich tonal range suited the drama of subjects such as Belshazzar's Feast and The Fall of Babylon, which he engraved after two of his most important paintings. The hand-coloring attests the mezzotints' popularity, as it was probably added by the publisher during a later issuing to mask areas of the plate worn by earlier printings. Together, they tell the story of Babylon's destruction: the Persian siege of the city depicted in The Fall of Babylon is prophesized by a black-cloaked Daniel in the center foreground of Belshazzar's Feast.