John Martin was one of the most popular artists of his day. The artist Thomas Cole, the author Victor Hugo, and the composer Hector Berlioz all drew inspiration from Martin’s work. He was one of the few painters who did his own engravings. The text of Paradise Lostitself was also a consistent source of inspiration for Romantic art.
This image is an illustration for Robert Paltock’s book, The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, a Cornish Man. The scene is not taken directly from the text, but portrays Peter, his children, and three of the flying men he encounters on his journey (Paltock 8).
Stonehenge has existed for thousands of years, making it a symbol of permanence and an indication of eras past difficult for humans to comprehend in their extensive entirety. In the Romantic era, a scholar named William Stukeley conjectured that it was constructed “not long after Cambyses’ invasion of Egypt,” which was about 525 B.C. (W. Stukeley, Stonehenge66; P.
The Romantic era was shaped by the rationalism of Enlightenment and the chaos of revolution, and it was built on the art, literature, and philosophy of the eras before it. Though the history of Romantic art is fascinating, equally fascinating is its fantasy.
This print portrays Lord Byron as the quintessential Romantic poet, as well as the Byronic hero formulated and featured in his own works.
In this busy scene, the young Miss Marrowfat entertains the family (and whoever else may happen to enter the butcher shop, apparently) with the musical "skills" she has acquired at boarding school.
This image depicts the characters of Egan's Life in London—Corinthian Tom, Corinthian Kate, Sue, Jerry Hawthorn, and Bob Logic—touring Carlton House. As evidenced by their distinct physical poses, each character reacts to the beauty of the throne room in a different way; however, all seem to experience the same wonder as would be felt in the presence of the sublime.
