Artwork
Joshua commanding the Sun to stand still
Joshua commanding the Sun to stand still is an oil painting by John Martin. It is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Overview
John Martin’s oil painting Joshua commanding the Sun to stand still depicts the biblical episode in which the Israelite leader raises his hand to halt the sun’s motion. The composition places a towering figure in the foreground against a stormy sky, from which a bright shaft of light descends, emphasizing the moment’s intensity.
Subject & Meaning
The work visualises the narrative from the Book of Joshua, where the commander’s prayer arrests daylight to aid his army. By foregrounding Joshua’s gesture and the halted sun, Martin underscores themes of divine intervention and human authority within a sacred context.
Technique & Style
Martin employs a stark chiaroscuro, contrasting deep shadows with a luminous beam that highlights the central figure. Bold brushwork and vivid coloration convey a sense of movement, while the expansive, almost theatrical landscape reflects his characteristic Romantic dramatism.
History & Provenance
Created by the English Romanticist John Martin, the painting now belongs to the Ashmolean Museum’s collection. Martin’s career combined popular acclaim for his grand, narrative canvases with critical opposition from contemporaries such as John Ruskin, who questioned his artistic approach.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Martin (19 July 1789 – 17 February 1854) was an English Romanticist painter, engraver, and illustrator.
