Shop art print and framed art Le Pandemonium by John Martin

John Martin's Pandemonium: a landmark work of art history

The pandemonium is the imaginary capital of Hell, where Satan convenes the council of demons. The term appeared on the pen of the poet John Milton in 1665, in his long epic poem "Paradise Lost". It is also the name of an emblematic work by the British painter John Martin, painted in 1825.

John Martin and his Pandemonium

Born in 1789, John Martin quickly established himself as an unusual and talented artist. He had a passion for grandiose scenes depicting dramatic and cataclysmic events. Over the course of his career, he anchored his style in a romantic vein combining mythology, religion and science fiction. This painting is therefore a foray into the darkest depths of the human mind, and a veritable ode to horror.

Visual deciphering of Pandemonium

John Martin's Pandemonium is a monumental painting, measuring almost 2 metres wide by 3 metres high. In the foreground, we see an infernal creature standing on a fault from which molten lava is escaping.This figure, which we guess is Satan, is depicted similar to a gargoyle or chimera.The horizontal composition accentuates the disproportionate and oppressive aspect of the infernal capital, which, with its colonnade, stands in the middle of Hell as a veritable temple of Evil.

The general atmosphere is suffocating: the sky is tinged with dark, ominous colours, while the volcanic rock masses underline the imminent threat of an eruption or cataclysm.

The relationship between Pandemonium and John Martin's artistic development

The Pandemonium occupies a major place in John Martin's work and bears witness to the teeming creativity of this multi-faceted artist.

It is interesting to note that this work falls within a period rich in scientific discoveries during the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly in the discipline of volcanology. The painter was able to take advantage of this context to offer viewers a world of shadow and fire, sublimated by an unleashing of natural forces..

This artwork is a painting from the classical period. It belongs to the romanticism style.

« Le Pandemonium » is kept at Louvre, Paris, France.