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David Roberts

British, 1796-1864

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.

Average Sold Price
$443
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Citadel of Sidon, Lebanon 19th century lithograph by David Roberts
By David Roberts
Located in London, GB
To see more, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller." David Roberts (1769 - 1864) Citadel of Sidon - April 28th, 1839 (published 1943) Lithograph with hand-colouring 23 x 35 cm (sheet size 17.5 x 24.5 cm) The Citadel of Sidon, or Sidon Sea Castle, was built by crusaders in the thirteenth century as a fortress of the holy land. This lithograph is part of David Roberts' series of views of the Holy Land, which he produced from sketches made during lengthy tours of the Near East in the 1830s. Egypt was much in vogue at this time, and travellers, collectors and lovers of antiquities were keen to buy works inspired by the East or depicting the great monuments of ancient Egypt; Roberts was more than happy to produce pictures on this lucrative theme. Queen Victoria was one of his 400 subscribers, and her set of lithographs is still held by the Royal Collection Trust...
Category

1840s David Roberts

Materials

Lithograph

Elgin Cathedral Ruins - Scottish 19thC art architectural landscape oil painting
By David Roberts
Located in London, GB
David Roberts, noted 19th century Scottish artist, painted this superb architectural landscape oil painting. Painted in 1848 it is the ruins at Elgin cathedral, a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, north-east Scotland. The cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was established in 1224 on land granted by King Alexander II outside the burgh of Elgin and close to the River Lossie. The ruins are depicted bathed in soft light and the figures at the foot emphasis their immense size. A super painting and an excellent example of Roberts' work. Indistinctly inscribed and dated Elgin ***/Sept 6 1848 lower right. Provenance. Thomas Agnew & Sons; Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 10 May 1933; Christie's, London 1988. Property of Bill Thomson, Albany Gallery Condition. Oil on panel, 24 inches by 20 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in original gilt Empire frame, 32 inches by 28 inches framed and in good condition. David Roberts (1796-1864) was a Scottish painter. The son of a shoemaker, he was apprenticed to a house-painter. From 1816 until 1830 he was employed in the theatre to design and paint stage scenery...
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1840s Realist David Roberts

Materials

Oil

Circular Temple at Baalbek, Rare Original Signed Watercolour by David Roberts
By David Roberts
Located in London, GB
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...
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1830s Victorian David Roberts

Materials

Watercolor

Interior of the Great Temple of Aboo Simbel - Orientalist - David Roberts
By David Roberts
Located in London, GB
David Roberts R.A. 1796 - 1864 Interior of the Great Temple of Aboo Simbel Subscription edition and First edition lithographs available Full plate: 139 Acid free mount With David ...
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19th Century Victorian David Roberts

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 David Roberts

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Five Framed Views of Egypt & Petra: Original 19th C. Lithographs by D. Roberts
By David Roberts
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a set of five framed original 19th century duo-tone lithographs by David Roberts, from his Egypt, The Holy Land and Nubia volumes of the quarto edition, published in London b...
Category

Mid-19th Century Realist David Roberts

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 David Roberts

Materials

Lithograph

Kom Ombo - David Roberts - Orientalist
By David Roberts
Located in London, GB
David Roberts 1796 - 1864 Kom Ombo First Edition lithograph Full plate: 210 Presented in an acid free mount
Category

1840s David Roberts

Materials

Lithograph

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Find a wide variety of authentic David Roberts art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by David Roberts in lithograph, paint, watercolor and more. Not every interior allows for large David Roberts art, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of David Loggan, Federica Galli, and John Webber. David Roberts art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $95 and tops out at $40,389, while the average work can sell for $2,362.

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