Fine Rare Prints

Information

David Roberts work The Holy Land is probably the greatest travel work ever produced. His illustrations are instinctively familiar, inspiring many to visit the sites of Christendom and Arabia that he portrayed so superbly - a significant achievement for a Scottish house painter touched by genius.

Roberts started work as a house painter, then developed a successful early career as a painter of theatre scenery. Following this, he turned to fine art and specialized in architectural and landscape subjects.

He was the one of the best of a number of artists who catered to the insatiable Victorian taste for scenes of exotic places. His reputation was already well established by the time he arrived in Egypt and the Holy Land in 1838.

He hired a boat to take him up the Nile as far as possible, and then floated with the current back down it, stopping at as many sites as possible. He took many views so by the time he returned to Cairo in December 1838, he had over one hundred sketches in his portfolio. Renting a house, he took to the streets of Cairo to draw - a rather dangerous pursuit for a foreigner. Roberts left Cairo for Jordan and the ruins of Petra, and then down into the Sinai valley and St. Catherine's monastery. Roberts then continued to Hebron, Jaffa and Jerusalem from where he visited many sites including Jericho, Bethlehem and the Dead Sea. From Jerusalem he proceeded to Nazareth as he made his way to Lebanon and the ruins of Baalbec, sketching over 100 views from this journey through the Holy Land to complement his views in Egypt & Nubia. Roberts spent the better part of the next 10 years turning his sketches into the lithographs so prized today.

The lithographs were produced by the Belgian lithographer Louis Hague, under the direction of Roberts. The first lithographs were published in 1842 in monthly parts by Moon, Boys and Graves, and the final issues appeared in 1849. The Holy Land set, which this print is from, was re-issued in 1879 by Cassell.

It is safe to say that these attractive lithographs are very likely to become more valuable. The subject matter and artist have enduring popularity, and sets of prints are scarce.

Date

Published by Cassell in 1879. This is a genuine antique print.

Print method

Duo tone lithograph. The paper is a light, creamy white

Condition

Very good condition. The odd spot of foxing in the white margin of a few of the prints, shown in the above scan if present or noted in the title box above the scan.

Size

Approximately 12.25 by 9.5 inches (31.5 cm by 24cm).

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