Elias Martin
Encyclopedia
Elias Martin was a Swedish genre, history
, and landscape
painter from Stockholm
. He is known for his
aquarelles of Stockholm and his landscape oil paintings that feature romantic lighting effects. Nationalencyklopedin
describes him as Sweden's "first big landscape painter".
to design ship ornaments. This job led to an acquaintanceship with Augustin Ehrensvärd
, a lieutenant colonel
in the artillery and a painter, who brought Martin to the sea fortress of Sveaborg and encouraged him to pursue his painting.
Martin stayed at Sveaborg for two years and painted several paintings of the fortress and its surroundings under the supervision of Ehrensvärd. He also gave drawing lessons to the garrison officers (Svenska: garnisonsofficerarna) and Ehrensvärd's son, Carl August Ehrensvärd
.
and Paris
in France where he mostly worked on his own. He tried to copy the style of François Boucher
, but quickly realized that it did not fit him. Martin was not a fan of the French classicism and therefore moved to London in 1770. It has also been reported that he briefly went to Rome
before his move.
In England, Martin spent most of his time on landscape painting, receiving inspiration from Claude Lorrain
and the English landscape school. He painted several paintings in this style, but also experimented with portraits, genre paintings, and history paintings. Among Martin's most famous works from this time are the paintings he made in the Bodleian Library
in Oxford. These include Britomartis befriande Amoret ur trollqvinnans våld (English: Britomart frees Amoret from the witch's possession; based on Edmund Spenser
's epic poem The Faerie Queene
) and Arkebiskop Langton, som af konungen erhåller en handling.
Martin gained a good reputation in England because of his paintings, and he became a member of the Royal Academy
. In 1781 he earned a membership at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
, and a year later he traveled to Sweden. He went ashore in Helsingborg
and passed through Lund
, Karlskrona
, and Kalmar
before arriving in Stockholm. On his journey he saw many views that he later depicted in aquarelle and oil paintings. Martin stayed in the capital of Sweden for several years, diligently working on paintings, drawings, and engraving
s that people ordered. Some of his foremost paintings from this period include Midsommarfest, Hertigens af Småland döpelseakt i slottskapellet (1782), Gustaf III:s och hertig Fredrik Adolfs besök i Målare- och bildhuggare-akademien, Uppsala (1784; given to Pope Pius VI
), Gripsholm (1784), Engelska parken vid Drottningholm (1785), Stockholm från Mosebacke (1786–87).
In 1788 Martin once again traveled to England, where he first stayed in London and then in Bath. In the summer of 1791 he was recalled to Sweden by King Gustav III
. He remained there until his death. During his final years in Stockholm Martin produced several engravings and paintings, primarily depicting landscapes, in aquarelle and oil. He also became an art teacher.
Martin died in the capital on 25 January 1818.
History painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by subject matter rather than an artistic style, depicting a moment in a narrative story, rather than a static subject such as a portrait...
, and landscape
Landscape art
Landscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
painter from Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. He is known for his
aquarelles of Stockholm and his landscape oil paintings that feature romantic lighting effects. Nationalencyklopedin
Nationalencyklopedin
Nationalencyklopedin is the most comprehensive contemporary Swedish language encyclopedia, initiated by a favourable loan from the Government of Sweden of 17 million Swedish kronor in 1980, which was repaid by December 1990...
describes him as Sweden's "first big landscape painter".
Early life
Martin's father was a carpenter and wanted his son to work with carpentry. Martin, however, was more interested in art and decided to become an apprentice of the painter F.C. Schultz. During his time with Schultz, he was hired by the naval architect Fredrik Henrik af ChapmanFredrik Henrik af Chapman
Fredrik Henrik af Chapman was a Swedish shipbuilder, scientist and officer in the Swedish navy. He was also manager of the Karlskrona shipyard 1782-1793...
to design ship ornaments. This job led to an acquaintanceship with Augustin Ehrensvärd
Augustin Ehrensvärd
Field marshal count Augustin Ehrensvärd was a Swedish military officer, military architect, artist, creator of the Sveaborg fortress and the Swedish Archipelago fleet,...
, a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the artillery and a painter, who brought Martin to the sea fortress of Sveaborg and encouraged him to pursue his painting.
Martin stayed at Sveaborg for two years and painted several paintings of the fortress and its surroundings under the supervision of Ehrensvärd. He also gave drawing lessons to the garrison officers (Svenska: garnisonsofficerarna) and Ehrensvärd's son, Carl August Ehrensvärd
Carl August Ehrensvärd
Count Carl August Ehrensvärd was a Swedish naval officer, painter, author, and neo-classical architect.Ehrensvärd was born in Stockholm, and died in Örebro. Though active as a naval officer during his entire life, he is mostly remembered for the burlesque caricatures of often famous people from...
.
Travels and career
In May 1766, Martin traveled to Le HavreLe Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in France where he mostly worked on his own. He tried to copy the style of François Boucher
François Boucher
François Boucher was a French painter, a proponent of Rococo taste, known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories representing the arts or pastoral occupations, intended as a sort of two-dimensional furniture...
, but quickly realized that it did not fit him. Martin was not a fan of the French classicism and therefore moved to London in 1770. It has also been reported that he briefly went to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
before his move.
In England, Martin spent most of his time on landscape painting, receiving inspiration from Claude Lorrain
Claude Lorrain
Claude Lorrain, , traditionally just Claude in English Claude Lorrain, , traditionally just Claude in English (also Claude Gellée, his real name, or in French Claude Gellée, , dit le Lorrain) Claude Lorrain, , traditionally just Claude in English (also Claude Gellée, his real name, or in French...
and the English landscape school. He painted several paintings in this style, but also experimented with portraits, genre paintings, and history paintings. Among Martin's most famous works from this time are the paintings he made in the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
in Oxford. These include Britomartis befriande Amoret ur trollqvinnans våld (English: Britomart frees Amoret from the witch's possession; based on Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
's epic poem The Faerie Queene
The Faerie Queene
The Faerie Queene is an incomplete English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. The first half was published in 1590, and a second installment was published in 1596. The Faerie Queene is notable for its form: it was the first work written in Spenserian stanza and is one of the longest poems in the English...
) and Arkebiskop Langton, som af konungen erhåller en handling.
Martin gained a good reputation in England because of his paintings, and he became a member of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
. In 1781 he earned a membership at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
The Royal Swedish Academy of Arts or Kungl. Akademien för de fria konsterna, founded in 1773 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden...
, and a year later he traveled to Sweden. He went ashore in Helsingborg
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
and passed through Lund
Lund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
, Karlskrona
Karlskrona
Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
, and Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
before arriving in Stockholm. On his journey he saw many views that he later depicted in aquarelle and oil paintings. Martin stayed in the capital of Sweden for several years, diligently working on paintings, drawings, and engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
s that people ordered. Some of his foremost paintings from this period include Midsommarfest, Hertigens af Småland döpelseakt i slottskapellet (1782), Gustaf III:s och hertig Fredrik Adolfs besök i Målare- och bildhuggare-akademien, Uppsala (1784; given to Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI , born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, was Pope from 1775 to 1799.-Early years:Braschi was born in Cesena...
), Gripsholm (1784), Engelska parken vid Drottningholm (1785), Stockholm från Mosebacke (1786–87).
In 1788 Martin once again traveled to England, where he first stayed in London and then in Bath. In the summer of 1791 he was recalled to Sweden by King Gustav III
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
. He remained there until his death. During his final years in Stockholm Martin produced several engravings and paintings, primarily depicting landscapes, in aquarelle and oil. He also became an art teacher.
Martin died in the capital on 25 January 1818.