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commencement of his rupture with the Royal Academy, of which he was through life an angry opponent : but it did not prevent his continuing to exnibit on the Academy walls. In 1816 he sent his 'Joshua commanding the Sun to stand still/ which .gained him great notice, and in the following year, at the British Institution, a premium of 1001. He was at the same time appointed ' his- torical landscape painter to the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold.' In 1819 he sent his large picture, ' The Fall of Babylon/ to the British Institution; and in 1821, his ' Belshazzarts Feast/ which gained the
Sremium of 200 guineas, and is by many eemed his best work. On the foundation of the Society of British Artists he became a zealous supporter of that body, and exhi- bited at their rooms in Suffolk Street, from 1824 to 1831, and again in 1837-38; but in the latter year he withdrew from them, and from that time his best and more im- portant works were sent to the Academy, though he did not abate his opposition. There he exhibited his ' Deluge ' in 1837, his * Eve of the Deluge ' in 1840, his * Pan- demonium 'in 1841, and continued to ex- hibit regularly till 1853.
He painted many clever views' in water- colour, in which his peculiar manner is apparent. The valley of the Thames, the Wandle, and the Brent, the Surrey Hills, and the eminences round the Metropolis, were the subjects of his pencil. Many of his works are engraved, some by his own hand. Of these are the ' Belshazzar's Feast/ the * Ascent of Elijah/ * Christ tempted in the Wilderness/ the 'Joshua/ 'Marcus Curtius/ ' The Fall of Nineveh/ ' The Fall of Babylon/ and some others. The popu- larity of his works also led to his being engaged in the illustration of books. In 1832-33 he received 2000/. for his designs for ' Paradise Lost/ which show great poetic grandeur; and in 1833 commenced, with Westall, the illustrations of the Bible. He was active, too, in schemes for the improve- ment of the Metropolis — the water supply, the sewage, and the docks.
In the midst of his occupations, and while at his easel, he was attacked by paralysis. He thought a remedy might be found in abstinence, and refusing nourish- ment, except in the smallest quantities, he at last gradually sank, and died on Febru- ary 17, 1854, in the Isle of Man. where he had gone for the restoration of nis health. The public were surprised by Martin's works, which they were unable to judge ; the artists were disposed to call them meretri- cious, tricky, scenic ; but it must be admit- ted that they were highly original and full of poetic imagination, embodying visions of art not hitherto displayed, though the manner became tedious by its repetition ; but his colouring was hot and disagreeable, his 288
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figures sadly wanting in drawing. He was a knight of the order of St. Leopold of Austria. The unfortunate lunatic who set fire to York Minster was his brother.
MARTIN, William, history jtainter. He was a pupil of Cipriani, and in 1766 was awarded a gold palette by the Society of Arts. His name first appears in the Academy catalogue in 1775, when, and in several succeeding years, during which he continued to exhibit, he was living with Cipriani, R.A., to whom he was a pupil. The works which he exhibited up to 1784 were almost exclusively classic — ' Antiochus and Stratonice/ ' Perseus and Andromeda,' 'Thetis comforting Achilles/ 'Venus at- tended by Iris.' with an occasional portrait. Then for the following seven years he did not exhibit,but in 1 791 he contributed' Lady Macbeth surprised in her Castle ; ' in 1800, sketches for paintings he was executing at Windsor Castle. Among his latter works he exhibited, in 1810, ' Celadon and Amelia/ a sketch ; in 1812, ' Serena falls into the Hands of the Savages; 7 and in 1816, an ' Allegorical sketch for a Picture in memory of Nelson/ his last work. He held the appointment of history painter to George III. Bartolozzi engraved after him 'Edward and Eleanor/ 'Lady Jane Grey/ ' Imogen's Chamber / and J. Watson, ' The Confidants/ ' Colibert/ ' Louise and the Gardener/
M ARTINE AU, Robert Braithwaitk, subject painter. Was born in London, January 19, 1826. He was educated in the London University School, and in 1842 adopted the law for his profession, but after four years' study under articles, ne gave it up and devoted himself to art During two years he laboured in a drawing school, and then gained admission to the schools of the Academy, and was for a short time the pupil of Mr. Holman Hunt. He first exhi- bited, in 1852, ' Kit's Writing Lesson/ and although some lesser works occupied him in the interval, his mind was chiefly engaged upon his ' Last Day in the old House/ ex- hibited at the International Exhibition in 1862. This work was a highly laboured production, a drama of the artist's own invention, and attracted great notice ; but he was unable to produce another work of equal importance or power. He died Feb- ruary 13, 1869, of heart disease, after only a short illness.
- MA SC ALL, Edward, portrait painter.
He practised during the Commonwealth, and there is a portrait of Cromwell by him. His portrait of himself is engraved by James Gammon. He made some of the drawings for Dugdale's ' Monasticon/ and there is an etching of Viscount Falconberg by him, dated 1643.
MASON, Abraham John, wood-en*- graver. Born in London, April 4, 1794. He lost both his parents early in life. Edu-
