Item nr. 112328 Convent of St. Saba. The Holy Land. David Roberts.
Convent of St. Saba. The Holy Land.

Convent of St. Saba. The Holy Land.

Roberts, David.
Holy Land.
London, 1842.
This plate: Convent of St. Saba
Original lithograph with hand-coloring.
Sheet size: 17 x 23 1/2 in.
Image size: 13 x 19 1/2 in.

David Roberts was one of the most highly acclaimed landscape artists of the 19th century. He began his painting career as a scenic artist, working for the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh in his native Scotland, before moving to the Drury Lane Theatre and Covent Garden Opera House. Roberts began painting seriously after his move to London, joining the Society of British Artists in 1824. By 1841 he had been elected a full member of the Royal Academy.

Even in his early career, Roberts traveled extensively, collecting watercolor sketches as the basis for his finished landscape paintings. By 1832, when he embarked on a two-year journey through Spain, the young artist had already painted numerous locales throughout Britain and across Germany, France and the Netherlands.

By the time he set out for Egypt in 1838, Roberts was one of the most sought-after landscape painters in England, commanding lucrative commissions from an impressive list of clients. In 1838 and 1839 he travelled through Egypt and Syria, across the Sinai Peninsula to Petra, Jerusalem and Palestine, along the Lebanese coast and to Baalbec.

Roberts returned from his eleven-month journey with hundreds of drawings and watercolors, intent on publishing his dramatic images. Francis Graham Moon took on the project, publishing 247 lithographs between 1842 and 1849. Louis Haghe painstakingly printed these exquisite lithographs under the direct supervision of Roberts. Each plate is printed in two colors and finished by hand, capturing the rich, atmospheric quality of the original watercolor sketches.

The dramatic success of Roberts' views solidified his reputation as one of the finest landscape artists of his day. The popularity of his serenely timeless images helped popularize the Romantic cult of exoticism that these works continue to convey.

Item nr. 112328
Price: $1,200.00 save 50% $600.00

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