John Martin, Paradise Lost - Adam and Eve Driven out of Paradise (Book 12)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824-1827
Technique: Mezzotint with etching and drypoint on laid paper, 25.4 x 35.3 cm

They loooking back, all the eastern side beheld
Of Paradise, so late their happy seat.
Waved over by that flaming brand the gate
With dreadful faces thronged, and firey arms
Some natural tears they dropt, but wiped them soon;
The world was all before them, where to choose
Their place of rest, and Providence their guide:
They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow,
Through Eden took their solitary way.

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Approach of the Archangel Michael (Book 11)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824-1826
Technique: Mezzotint with drypoint on laid paper, 25.5 x 35.4 cm

Darkness has fallen across the brightness of the morning sun and nature is distorted thorugh God's rage, as Adam and Eve flee toward the gates of Paradise.

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Heaven - The Rivers of Bliss (Book 11)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824-1825
Technique: Mezzotint with etching and drypoint on laid paper, 25.1 x 35.6 cm

...The angelick blast
Filled all the regions; from their blissful bowers
Of amarantine shade, fountain or spring,
By the waters of life, where 'er they sat
In fellowships of joy, the sons of light
Hasted, resorting to the summons high;
And took their seats, till from his throne supreme
The Almighty thus pronounced his sovran will...

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Adam Reproving Eve (Book 10)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824-1826
Technique: Mezzotint with etching on wove paper, 25.6 x 35.3 cm

Source

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Bridge over Chaos (Book 10)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824-1826
Technique: Mezzotint on laid paper, 25.2 x 34.6 cm

...to Hell he now returned
And at the brink of Chaos, near the foot
Of this new wonderous pontifice, the unhoped
Met, to whom meet him came, his offspring dear.
...
Of that stupendous bridge his joy encreased.
Long he admiring stood, till Sin, his fair
Enchanting daughter, thus the silence broke...

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Adam Hearing the Voice of the Almighty (Book 10)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824-1826
Technique: Mezzotint with etching on laid paper, 25.7 x 35.8 cm

...And from his presence hid themselves among
The thickest trees, both man and wife, till God,
Approaching, thus to Adam called aloud:
Where are thou Adam, ... / ... Come forth!
He came; and with him Eve, more both, though first
To offend: discountenanced both, and discomposed;
Love was not in their looks, either to God;
Or to each other; but apparent guilt,
And shame, and perturbation, and despair,
Anger, and obstinacy, and hate, and guilt.

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Eve Presenting the Forbidden Fruit to Adam (Book 9)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824
Technique: Mezzotint with etching on laid paper, 25.4 x 35.8 cm

...from the bough
She gave him of that fair enticing fruit
With liberal hand: he scurpled not to eat.
Against his better knowledge: not deceived,
But fondly overcome with female charm.

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Satan Tempting Eve (Book 9 )

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824-1826
Technique: Mezzotint with etching and drypoint on laid paper, 25.4 x 35.1 cm

Here grows the cure of all, this fruit divine,
Fair on the eye, inviting to the taste,
Of virtue to make wise: What hinders then
To reach and feed at once both body and mind?
So saying, her rash hand in evil hour
Forth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she eat!
Earth felt the wound; and Nature from her seat
Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe,
That all was lost.

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Creation of Light (Book 7)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824
Technique: Mezzotint on laid paper, 25.4 x 35.3 cm

One of Martin's masterpieces, and a highpoint of the Paradise Lost series, Martin depicts the moment when God creates the Light of Heaven, and divides the Night from the Day.

Martin produced an oil painting of The Creation of Light at the same time as the two mezzotints for Paradise Lost; the oil painting is now lost. But when it was shown in 1825. Martin received quite a bit of criticism from those who were outraged to find God depicted at all. One review dismissed the painting as "absurd beyond all conception," and another commentator found it "the grossest of all gross ideas to make the power and essence of the Creator depend on size." Martin was not dissuaded -- indeed was probably more encouraged by the fact the painting was sold for 2000 guineas, the highest price he ever received for a single work -- and used the same image in Paradise Lost. Opinion was soon to change, so that by the early 1900s the work was described as "one of the most extraordinary conceptions of a great visionary."

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Raphael Conversing with Adam and Eve (Book 5)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1826
Technique: Mezzotint with etching on cream laid paper, 19.6 x 27 cm

Source

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Paradise - with the Approach of the Archangel Raphael (Book 5)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1825
Technique: Mezzotint with drypoint on laid paper, 25.6 x 35.8 cm

Source

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Paradise - Adam and Eve - The Morning Hymn (Book 5)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824-1825
Technique: Mezzotint on laid paper, 25.4 x 35.8 cm

The image is of Adam and Eve greeting dawn:

Of Paradise and Eden's happy plains,
Lowly they bowed adoring, and began
Their orisons, each morning duly said
In various style; for neither various style
Nor holy raputre wanted they to priase
Their Maker

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - The Angels Guarding Paradise at Night (Book 4)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1825
Technique: Mezzotint with etching on cream laid paper, 19.5 x 27 cm

Ihuriel and Zephon, having discovered Satan in Paradise, escort him out past the Archangel Gabriel who is calling upon the Angel Host.

...by his gait / And fierce demeanour seems the Price of Hell
Not likely to part hence without contest;
Stand firm, for in his look defiance lours.

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Eve's Dream - Satan Aroused (Book 4)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1825-1827
Technique: Mezzotint with etching on cream laid paper, 19.5 x 26.9 cm

The illustration presents the episode when the angels Ithuriel and Zephon (the two on the left) discover Satan in the disguise of a toad whispering to Eve while she slept; at the touch of Ithuriel's spear, Satan is transformed back to his natural shape.

...Up he starts
Discovered and surprised. As when a spark
Lights on a heap of nitrous powder, laid
Fit for the tun some magazine to store
Against a rumored war, the smutty grain
With sudden blaze diffused, inflames the air;
So started up in his own shape the Fiend.
Back stepped those two fair Angels, half amazed
So sudden to behold the grisly king.

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Satan Contemplating Adam and Eve in Paradise (Book 4)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1826
Technique: Mezzotint with etching on cream laid paper, 19.5 x 26.7 cm

....Aside the Devil turned
For envy: yet with jealous leer malign
Eyed them askance, and to himself thus plained.
Sight hateful, sight tormenting! thus these two,
Imparadised in one another's arms,
The happier Eden, shall enjoy their fill
Of bliss on bliss; while I to Hell am thrust...

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Eve at the Fountain (Book 4)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824-1825
Technique: Mezzotint with etching and drypoint on laid paper, 25.6 x 35.6 cm

Martin portrays Eve's first moments after awakening when she is startled by her reflection in the waters of a smooth lake.

.... I thither went / with unexperienced thought, and laid me down
On the green bank to look into the clear
Smooth lake, that to me seemed another sky.
As I bent down to look, just opposite
A shape within the watery gleam appeared
Bending to look on me: I started back,
It started back; but pleased I soon returned...

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Satan Viewing the Ascent to Heaven (Book 3)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824-1825
Technique: Mezzotint with drypoint on laid paper, 35.8 x 25.7 cm

His traveled steps; far distant he describes
Ascending by degrees magnificent
Up to the wall of Heaven a structrue high:
At top whereof but far more rich, appeared
The work as of a kingly palace-gate,
...
The stairs were such as whereupon Jacob saw
Angels ascending and descending, bands
Of guardians bright...

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - The Courts of God (Book 3)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824-1825
Technique: Mezzotint with drypoint on laid paper, 25.6 x 35.6 cm

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - The Conflict Between Satan and Death (Book 2)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1825
Technique: Mezzotint with engraving on chine collé, mounted on cream wove paper, 19.4 x 26.7 cm

In Milton's account, Sin seeks to prevent the conflict between Satan and a formless Death (Book II line 666); Milton describes Death as
...the other shape. / If shape it might be called that shape had none
Distinguishable in member, joint or limb;
Or substance might be called that shadow seemed,
For each seemed either: black it stood as Night,
Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as Hell.

Martin did not however follow Milton's description of Sin, doubtless considering it too grotesque for public taste and distracting to his design: by Milton's account Sin "seemed woman to the waist, and fair; / But ended foul in many a scaly fold../ ...a serpent armed / With mortal sting."

Source 1
Source 2

John Martin, Paradise Lost - Satan Presiding at the Infernal Council (Book 2)

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Date: 1824
Technique: Mezzotint with etching on cream laid paper, 19.7 x 26.9 cm

High on a throne of royal state which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,
...
Satan exhalted sat, by merit raised
To that bad eminence: and from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires
Beyond thus high; insatiate to pursue
Vain war with Heaven and, by success untaught,
His proud imagination thus displayed

Source 1
Source 2