John Martin

Mrs B.D. Bunnett;

her sale, London, Christie’s, 20 April 1972, lot 137 (to The Manning Gallery),

with The Manning Gallery, London;

sale, London, Christie's, 11 July 1989, lot 164;

sale, London, Sotheby’s, 9 July 2014, lot 160,

where acquired by the present owner 

The present work appears closely connected with another watercolour by John Martin, also entitled The Ruins of Trionto, which was published as a line engraving by William R. Smith accompanying a short story called The Count of Trionto: A Tale of the Abruzzos in The Gem literary annual for 1830.

It is probable that the present watercolour represents a later reconsideration of the theme, conceived to heighten the drama and immediacy of the scene, qualities that Martin may have felt were insufficiently developed in the earlier composition. In this version, the figures are shown fleeing in terror as the nearby oak is struck by lightning, while the earlier design placed both the figures and the lightning more centrally within a calmer and more balanced composition.

The image of mighty oak trees shattered by lightning recurs throughout Martin’s oeuvre, and the artist is known to have produced a significant watercolour entitled The Blasted Oak, in Wimbledon Park (sale, Christie’s, London, 'Water Colour Drawings by John Martin', 22 May 1854, lot 17).

We are very grateful to Michael Campbell for his help in cataloguing this work.