Joshua commanding the Sun to stand still

Martin's first attempt at an epic and densely populated composition was his large painting of Joshua commanding the Sun to stand still, shown to great acclaim at the Royal Academy in 1816 (now owned by the United Grand Lodge). The subject is taken from Joshua 10: 12-14. Martin later published a large mezzotint of the painting in 1827. This is probably a preparatory sketch, as dramatically lit as the final painting but far less detailed.