Johan Fredrik Martin

Johan Fredrik Martin (8 June 1755 – 28 September 1816) was a Swedish painter and engraver of the eighteenth century. He worked in a variety of media, especially stipple, contour etching and aquatint.
The famous painter Elias Martin was his elder brother; both men had sons who were also painters.

Aquatint over contour etching Country people in Blekinge, c. 1800, after original by Pehr Hilleström

In his youth Martin devoted himself primarily to the art of drawing. He spent the years 1770-80 in England and received his education there from English graphic artists like William Woollett and Francesco Bartolozzi. At first he worked very close to his brother Elias Martin, but after 1785 he became more independent and made graphic prints for other artists, among them Pehr Hillström. After his return to Sweden he made graphic works such as Svenska galeriet (2 booklets with 12 portraits and biographies 1782-83).

In 1784-87 Martin undertook several journeys through Sweden to subscribe prospects. In 1797 he published a collection of prospects over Stockholm , made with etched contours, the contour drawings he treated like watercolors and widely sold. In 1805 he began to develop these and similar drawings in aquatint, and his great work, Svenska vyer (Swedish views) arose gradually. His other works include the engraved plates to shield Brands Voyage pittoresque au Cap Nord, as well as plates from Louis Masreliez drawings, his brother Elias's landscape paintings and his drawings of the Bacchus temple. He also made many portraits and engravings on a wide variety of subjects.

Martin was technically very skilled, working in several graphic techniques, especially stipple, contour etching and aquatint. Among his works are the "beautifying theatre view" from the Södermalm district of Stockholm with upper-class audience that is a watercoloured etching after a drawing by his brother Elias from about 1790.

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  Detail of view of Stockholm from Mosebacke in Södermalm. This image was a watercoloured etching in the collection Utsigter över Stockholm (Prospects of Stockholm, 1797). An aquatint variant was published as the first sheet in the series Svenska vyer of 1805.