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David Roberts Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

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.

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Artist: David Roberts
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 Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

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...
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Mid-19th Century Victorian David Roberts Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

David Roberts, Tombs of the Mamelukes
By David Roberts
Located in New York, NY
David Roberts, Tombs of the Mamelukes. David Roberts (1796-1864) antique lithograph of the "Tombs of the Mamelukes, Cairo" from the 1st edition in gilt frame, England, 1849. Dimensi...
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Mid-19th Century David Roberts Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper

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 David Roberts Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Graphite

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Previously Available Items
David Roberts - 1851 Watercolour, The Cobbled Street
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This fine watercolour study depicts a cobbled continental street with figures. The artist captures the narrow street with an expert hand, with a focus on the way that the afternoon l...
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Mid-19th Century David Roberts Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

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Decilli Tash or Arcadian Column - Original Watercolor by David Roberts - 1830
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Beautiful colored watercolor, hand-signed on the lower-right corner " D. Roberts" and hand-dated 1830 . Hand-titled "Decilli tash on Arcadian Column". Beautiful watercolor represe...
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1830s Modern David Roberts Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

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The Brunel Viaduct - Ivybridge , Devon c. 1850
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This superb watercolour on original paper depicts the unique Ivybridge Viaduct in Devon which was designed and built in 1848 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It was later taken down and r...
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David Roberts drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic David Roberts drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by David Roberts in paint, watercolor, paper and more. Not every interior allows for large David Roberts drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of John Fulleylove, and Ella Bruce. David Roberts drawings and watercolor paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $23,517 and tops out at $40,389, while the average work can sell for $31,953.

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