John Martin's The Seventh Plague of Egypt

John Martin's The Seventh Plague of Egypt is an example of 19th Century fascination with classical Egypt. This piece of art, and many like it, gave 19th Century Americans and Europeans a gimps into the past, recreating the cities and people that were ancient Egypt. It fueled their imagination for what life was like back then. Now when they heard about ancient Egypt or watched a play that took place in ancient Egypt, 19th Century Americans and Europeans could visualize the location and atmosphere that was ancient Egypt. These dramatic paintings also served as inspiration for soon to come Hollywood epics, with booming special effects, armies of extras, and grand cities (Richards 14).