The Deluge

The painting depicts the Flood from the Book of Genesis: God destroys almost all life on Earth to punish the wickedness of mankind. We see drowned bodies swept away by the waves, a crowd clinging to a rock, and in the sky two glowing red discs, amid clouds and lightning.

Here Martin blends religion, science and Romantic literature. He believed that, at some point in the distant past, the Sun, the Moon and a comet had collided, causing a gigantic flood. He shared this idea with the French naturalist Georges Cuvier, who saw the painting in his studio. Martin also drew on Lord Byron’s drama Heaven and Earth (1821).

Martin had already painted the subject once. This more spectacular 1834 version was his favourite. Shown at the Paris Salon in 1835, it was awarded a gold medal by King Louis-Philippe. Prince Albert later suggested that Martin make it into a trilogy: he painted The Eve of the Deluge and The Assuaging of the Waters, shown together at the Royal Academy in 1840.

Original work: John Martin (English, 1789-1854), The Deluge, 1834, oil on canvas, 168.3 × 258.4 cm. Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Paul Mellon Collection (accession number B1978.43.11). Public domain work, digital image from Artvee (artvee.com).

This art print is a reproduction, printed in France by Atelier Kyodai Print on 230 gsm premium matte paper. It is available in two sizes: 30 × 40 cm and 50 × 70 cm.

Skies tearing apart, mountains swallowed up, tiny crowds facing divine wrath: John Martin, the painter of the end of the world.

John Martin page →

230 gsm premium matte paper
Printed by Atelier Kyodai Print

Paper and process are chosen with the artist and the workshop to respect the original work. Every copy is checked before shipping. Printed in France.

Magnetic hanging bars: one 2 cm-wide natural wood bar at the top, one at the bottom, holding the print with magnets, with no holes and no damage to the paper. Lengths of 31, 51 and 71 cm to match the sizes, with a hanging cord. Delivered in the tube with your print.

Wooden frame: natural-finish wooden frame with a protective plexiglass front. Available for the 30 × 40 and 50 × 70 cm sizes. Your work arrives already framed, ready to hang: it ships in a box, not in a tube.

Made to order: another size, another paper, a special project? Send us your request: quote within 24 h, no commitment.

Ships within 5 business days in a hexagonal tube, tracked and insured. Fine Art prints travel in double packaging: a rigid round tube slipped inside a second square tube that keeps it from rolling and absorbs knocks. Works ordered with a wooden frame arrive already framed and ship in a box. Free shipping from €150 within mainland France (collectibles excluded).

Returns within 14 days, numbered editions included: the work comes back in its original tube, unframed and in perfect condition. Only prints dedicated to your name or made in a custom size cannot be returned or exchanged, unless faulty on arrival.