{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1068405"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1068405/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV5475/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV5475/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BV5475","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1068405/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1068405","accessionNumber":"SP.370","objectType":"Etching and mezzotint","titles":[{"title":"Le Festin De Balthazar","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Etching and mezzotint depicting the apocalyptic scene of Belshazzar's Feast.  Lettered with title and 'Martin pinx\"  J.S.Lucas sculp.  Aze impr. Paris, publié par Rittner & Goupil,15, Boulevart Montmartre'.  Blindstamped 'Rittner & Goupil Editeurs A Paris'.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"John Martin","id":"AUTH319839"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"James G. Seymour Lucas","id":"A29277"},"association":{"text":"engraver","id":"AAT25165"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Chardon ainé et Aze","id":"A27189"},"association":{"text":"printer","id":"AAT25732"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Rittner & Goupil","id":"A5835"},"association":{"text":"publisher","id":"AAT25574"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"etching","id":"AAT53241"},{"text":"mezzotint","id":"AAT53233"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Etching and mezzotint","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2008BV5475"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"SC","shelf":"53","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"mezzotints","id":"AAT41356"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1834","earliest":"1834-01-01","latest":"1834-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Shell International and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"26.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"33","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions taken from departmental notes","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The Biblical episode depicted in the painting - Belshazzar's Feast - is described in the Book of Daniel. The Babylonian king Belshazzar is said to have defiled the sacred vessels of the enslaved Israelites by using them to serve wine at a banquet. The feast was then disturbed by the appearance of a divine hand which wrote a glowing inscription on a wall - the writing on the wall - which was interpreted by the prophet Daniel as portent of Belshazzar's doom. Belshazzar was killed that night and Darius the Mede succeeded to his kingdom.\nJohn Martin painted the scene several times, most famously in 1821, when he exhibited a version at the British Institution and the work had to be protected from the crowds by a railing.  \n\nThis version was one of Martin's last three major mezzotints, but they were a commercial failure.  Balston states that 'Leggatt, Hayward and Leggatt's Descriptive Key' (1855) to Martin's Judgement Pictures refers to the artist as `Painter of Belshazzar's Feast, Fall of Nineveh, The Destroying Angel, etc.,' but found no other record of the picture: see Balston, p.277. \r\nAn earlier, almost identical, version of the subject had been engraved in mezzotint by Martin's son Alfred and published in 1835 (see VAM, E.530 1966).  The mezzotint was Plate 33 in Martin's 'Illustrations of The Bible', 1835.   \r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Etching and mezzotint entitled 'Le Festin De Balthazar', after a painting by John Martin (1789-1854).  British School, 1834.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Balthazar","id":"N3502"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[{"text":"Feast","id":"V663"}],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"destruction","id":"AAT53087"},{"text":"apocalypse","id":"x35356"},{"text":"feasts","id":"AAT69097"},{"text":"fear","id":"AAT55160"},{"text":"death","id":"AAT151836"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["SP.370"],"accessionNumberNum":"370","accessionNumberPrefix":"SP","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-15","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}