Items Similar to Circular Temple at Baalbek, Rare Original Signed Watercolour by David Roberts
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 4
David RobertsCircular Temple at Baalbek, Rare Original Signed Watercolour by David Roberts1839
1839
$42,810.52
£31,600
€36,937.48
CA$59,084.94
A$66,188.19
CHF 34,426.08
MX$807,359.37
NOK 438,289.85
SEK 413,276.09
DKK 275,691.21
About the Item
Watercolour with touches of bodycolour on buff paper, signed lower middle and inscribed and dated '1839' lower left
Image size: 8 1/2 x 12 1/4 inches (22 x 31 cm)
Acid free mount and period style gilt frame
This original watercolour by Roberts depicts the temple at Baalbek with the ruined palace behind, seen from the opposite bank of a brook, where a group of figures are seated and kneeling around a table, with an arched bridge nearby.
David Roberts was the first professional British artist to travel independently to the Middle East in 1838. He was the first British artist to draw the ruins of Ancient Egypt and Roberts produced a series of finished watercolours, including the painting, which he had worked up from sketches made during his tour.
Like many British artists he used the familiar visual language of European landscapes to capture the unfamiliar scenery. By using architectural motifs to provide structure to compositions like this he is able to present a dramatic scene of classical grandeur, illuminated by sunlight complemented by a large area of shade in the foreground.
The dramatic scene is enhanced by the three groups of figures, which convey the sense of scale. The figures also give the picture richer, darker and redder tones that contrast with the sandy colours of the architecture. This painting uses a lot of the essential ingredients that make up a picturesque scene: distant mountains, classical ruins and figures for human interest and to convey motion.
Robert's Trip to Baalbek
David Roberts visited Baalbek near the end of his travels around Egypt and the Middle East. Roberts and his party rode to the site of Baalbek on 2nd May in a heavy-rain storm. He was miserable, totally drenched and feverish. But the sight of the ancient Roman settlement rallied him. Despite his physical debilitation, 'I was... so much struck with the magnificence of the temple, that I could not resist visiting and examining it'. The storm then continued through the night, pummelling the traveller's tents. In the morning, Roberts felt extremely ill and sought the help of a Greek priest, who found him dry shelter in a cowshed. For the first time on his gruelling journey, Roberts devoted the whole day to bed rest.
On May 4th, regaining some strength, Roberts explored the site. With obscure origins connected with the god Baal, the city of Baalbek had grown to importance in Hellenistic times, when it was known as Heliopolis ('The City of the Sun'). In the first century B.C. the Romans had established a cult of the Heliopolitan Jupiter there, and both Josephus Flavius, in 64 B.C. and Strabo mention the city as a centre for worship of the solar incarnation of the head deity of their pantheon. The city remained prominent through the seventh century, when the Arab residents of Baalbek turned the temples into fortresses. Conquered by Saladin and plundered by Tamerlane, the city saw its glory finally reduced to rubble in a series of earthquakes in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
But what remained on the site testified to Baalbek's former grandeur. Roberts marvelled at the mastery of Roman architects and masons, claiming that their stones were cut and laid with such accuracy that mortar was not needed. Despite his ill health, Roberts worked for four days, finding the grand ruins of Baalbek as wondrous as anything he had seen along the Nile.
- Creator:David Roberts (1796-1864, British)
- Creation Year:1839
- Dimensions:Height: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)Width: 12 in (30.48 cm)
- More Editions & Sizes:1 of 1Price: $42,811
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU52413027102
David Roberts
David Roberts was born outside of Edinburgh, Scotland. At age 10 he became a house painter’s apprentice. He continued painting houses and, eventually, theater scenes in Edinburgh and then in London. Roberts’ friend, J.M.W. Turner, recognized his artistic talent and encouraged him to become a full-time artist.
In 1839 Roberts traveled to Egypt and then in 1840, through the Holy Land, concluding in Jerusalem. Upon his return to England, F.G. Moon agreed to publish lithographs created by Louis Haghe from Roberts’ sketches and watercolors. This publication was highly acclaimed and very popular for its esthetic quality, its historical and topographical accuracy, and Roberts’ dramatic depiction of his scenes. Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens were among the subscribers who collected his works. Roberts’ and Haghe’s duotone lithographs, often colored, remain extremely sought after today and have been rising steadily in value.
Find original David Roberts paintings and prints on 1stDibs.
About the Seller
5.0
Vetted Professional Seller
Every seller passes strict standards for authenticity and reliability
Established in 2007
1stDibs seller since 2014
82 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 2 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: London, United Kingdom
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllBaalbec, Western Portico
By David Roberts
Located in London, GB
First edition lithograph in stock
Full plate: 79
Presented in a acid free mount
Modern hand-coloured lithograph for the first edition of David Roberts’ The Holy Land available.
Pub...
Category
19th Century Victorian Landscape Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Castle San Angelo, Rome, David Roberts, 19th Century Original Watercolour
By David Roberts
Located in London, GB
Pencil, watercolour and bodycolour heightened with white.
Image size: 9 1/2 x 13 1/4 inches (24 x 34 cm)
Hand made gilt frame
Provenance
The Fine Art Society 1981 (Label Verso)
Priv...
Category
Mid-19th Century Victorian Landscape Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Great Gateway, Leading to the Temple at Karnac, Thebes, Original Watercolour
By David Roberts
Located in London, GB
Pencil and watercolour heightened with white, signed lower right and inscribed lower left
Image size: 14 3/4 x 11 1/2 inches (37.5 x 29.5 cm)
Mounted with handmade gilt frame
Prove...
Category
Early 19th Century Landscape Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor, Graphite
Baalbec, General View
By David Roberts
Located in London, GB
Subscription and first Edition lithographs
Full plate: 77
Presented in an acid free mount
Original hand coloured subscription edition and modern hand-coloured lithograph for the fir...
Category
19th Century Victorian Landscape Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Lower Portion of El Khasne, Petra
By David Roberts
Located in London, GB
Subscription and first edition lithograph in stock
Full plate: 94
Presented in a acid free mount
Category
19th Century Victorian Landscape Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Facade of the Pronaos of the Temple of Edfou - David Roberts - orientalist
By David Roberts
Located in London, GB
David Roberts
1796 - 1864
Facade of the Pronaos of the Temple of Edfou
First Edition lithograph
Full plate: 208
Presented in a acid free mount
We have all 250 of the Lithograph set...
Category
1840s Landscape Prints
Materials
Lithograph
You May Also Like
Ruins Of Baalbek, Lebanon, Watercolor Signed Carbonnier 1924
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Ruins of Baalbek, Lebanon. Watercolor signed Carbonnier 1924. Partially glued on cardboard. A scratch on the top right, small foxing 25 x 17.5 cm.
Category
1920s Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor
View of the Forum Romanum - Watercolor by Giuseppe Costantini - 1870s
Located in Roma, IT
View of the Forum Romanum is an original modern artwork realized by the Italian painter Giuseppe Costantini (Nola, 1843 - Naples, 1893) in the seco...
Category
1870s Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Oil, Watercolor
Rome 1878 Classical Roman Architecture Figures at Fountain Signed Watercolor
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Rome
by Arthur A. Wilkinson (British, c.1860-1930)
signed and dated 1878
watercolor on artist paper , unframed
artist paper : 11 x 17 inches
Provenance: private collection, the Cotsw...
Category
19th Century English School Landscape Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Temple of Kalabshi, Egypt: David Roberts' 19th C. Hand-colored Lithograph
By David Roberts
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 19th century hand-colored lithograph entitled "Portico of the Temple of Kalabshi" by David Roberts, from his Egypt and Nubia volumes of the large folio edition, p...
Category
1840s Realist Interior Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Medinet Abou, Thebes lithograph from Views of the Holy Land by David Roberts
By David Roberts
Located in Paonia, CO
Medinet Abou, Thebes is a hand colored lithograph from the standard edition of ” Views in the Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt and Nubia” a...
Category
1840s Other Art Style Landscape Prints
Materials
Lithograph
Ruins of the Temple of Kom Ombo, Egypt: A 19th C. Lithograph by David Roberts
By David Roberts
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 19th century duotone lithograph entitled "Ruins of Kom Ombo" by David Roberts, from his Egypt and Nubia volumes of the large folio edition, published in London by...
Category
1840s Realist Landscape Prints
Materials
Lithograph
