A Life Less Ordinary Trivia Quiz

Answer: Northumberland

John was born in 1789, at the family's simple one roomed home in a village called Haydon Bridge, in Northumberland. This county forms part of the border between England and Scotland, on the eastern side of Great Britain.

Answer: Apocalyptic scenes, often biblical

Martin painted many scenes based on the Bible, showing various apocalyptic events. One of his most famous works is "The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah", which hangs in the Laing Gallery in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England.
This was painted in 1852.

Answer: Heraldic coats of arms

John was sent to work for a firm of coach builders, and set to learn all about the various coats of arms and heraldic devices. These were emblazoned on the coaches themselves, and often embroidered on the livery of the household staff of aristocratic families at the time.
John never completed this apprenticeship, and his indentures were cancelled. He was then taken on as an apprentice by an Italian artist named Musso, who took him to London in 1806.

Answer: Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion

The painting's subject matter was taken from an "old Persian folk tale" which became popular in the late 18th century when it was published as such, having actually been written by James Ridley. The story was so popular that it was also adapted into an opera (1814) and a stage play in 1797.
The painting is now part of the collection at the St. Louis Art Museum in the United States.

Answer: Set fire to York Minster

Jonathan was a witness to the murder of their only sister Anne when he was younger, and had spent several periods of time in various lunatic asylums. He was ordained as a minister in the Wesleyan church, and moved to York with his second wife in 1828.
He had a mental breakdown a year later, and after hiding in the Minster, he started a fire which is counted as one of the most serious cases of arson ever in the British Isles.
He was tried and found guilty, and were it not for his insanity, he would have been hanged. Instead he was recommitted to an asylum and died there ten years later.

Answer: "Paradise Lost" by John Milton

Martin was paid well over 3000 guineas for the engravings, a huge sum of money for the time. During his lifetime he often made much more money from his engravings than he did from the sales of his paintings.
"Paradise Lost" was first published in 1667, as a ten volume set. Over the years since then it has been illustrated by several great artists including Gustave Dore, William Blake and Salvador Dali.

Answer: King Leopold I of Belgium

Leopold was the maternal uncle of Queen Victoria of Great Britain. He became King of Belgium in 1831, immediately entering into war when the Netherlands invaded. It was only in 1839 that the hostilities ended and Belgium became a truly independent nation.
The King (then still Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg) was Godfather to John Martin's son, also named Leopold, and also awarded John the Order of Leopold Medal for his services as court painter.
Tsar Nicholas of Russia was also an admirer of Martin's work, and awarded him a Gold Medal to show his appreciation.

Answer: He insisted Isaac Newton's theories were wrong

William was a successful inventor, and held several patents over the years. He was however, firmly convinced that Isaac Newton's theories were completely wrong, and would give "anti-Newtonian" lectures. He also founded a group called the Martinean Society to propound his views, in direct opposition to the Royal Society, and thus ended his life as a figure of derision.
He lived with John for two years before he died in 1851.

Answer: Belshazzar's Feast

The painting was first exhibited in 1820, and thousands of people came to view it. It was painted as a follow on or sequel to his 1819 work "The Fall of Babylon", and was awarded a prize of two hundred pounds by the British Institute.
Martin is often cited as the first "painter of the Apocalypse" and his works have inspired many authors of dystopian and apocalyptic fiction over the years.
Jane Webb, who wrote "The Mummy!", was a friend of the Martin family, as was William Godwin, the father of Mary Shelley.

Answer: Engineer

Martin was a gifted engineer and designer, producing many plans and ideas during his life. It was his designs that formed the basis for the Thames Embankment and various drainage and sewage works in London.
He was also friends with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and worked on designs for various railways, lighthouses, and other major feats of engineering.