At Arabesque we always stock a large collection of David Roberts 19th Century lithographs - all fully guaranteed and with a certificate of authenticity.

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David Roberts was born in Stockbridge, Scotland. He began his artistic career serving a seven-year apprenticeship in house painting and interior decoration. He then turned his attention towards scenery painting. At first he was employed by a touring theatre in Carlisle, Hull and York and later found more regular employment in the theatres of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

In 1822, whilst scene painter at the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, he entered several architectural pieces in an Edinburgh exhibition, the outcome of which was his engagement as scene painter to the Drury Lane Theatre, London. He left Drury Lane for the rival Covent Garden Theatre in 1826, remaining there for four years. During this time he began to take up painting seriously, becoming a member of the Society of British Artists in 1824 and holding his first exhibition at the Suffolk Street Gallery.He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1838 and became a full member in 1841.

In 1838, he first visited Syria and Egypt and in February 1839 reached the Holy Land where he did the drawings from which the series of lithographs were taken that are now world famous.

When in the Middle East, his method of travelling had to be by boat up the Nile and then by camel with the full accompaniment of Arab guides and servants, and as James Ballantine, his biographer wrote:

" He explored that patriarchal land, he searched its innermost recesses and returned to his native country laden with the richest treasures after having completed the finest pilgrimage of art. He was the first and the greatest artistic pioneer who had opened up that sacred country to our kin".

Every day while engaged in sketching this silent and desolate land with its many architectural treasures, Roberts never failed to jot down all his adventures and impressions.

After his return to England in 1839, he went ahead with his undertaking to print these impressions, the first of which 'Jerusalem' appeared in April 1842. Louis Haghe was his lithographer and of his share of the work Roberts says he
"has not only surpassed himself, but all that has hitherto been done of a similar nature. He has rendered the views in a style clear, simple and unlaboured, with a masterly vigour and boldness which none but a painter like him could have transferred to stone".

Roberts died in London at the age of 68.

Museums:

Aberdeen, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Government Art Collection,Huntington Art Gallery, Leicester, Liverpool, London (Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate Gallery, Wallace Collection), Manchester, Manchester City Art Gallery, Melbourne, Mulhouse, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Prado (Madrid), Preston, Sheffield, Sydney and Whitworth (Manchester).

A few of the many references:

James Ballantine, "The Life of David Roberts" (1866)
Benezit, vol.IX pp.10-11(1976)
"Dictionary of Victorian Painters" by Christopher Wood, pp.397-8 (1978)
"The Orientalists" by P. Jullian, pp.43,102,106,115,116,134-5,137,195 "Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists" by H. Mallalieu, p.221(1976)
"Dictionary of Watercolour Painters" (1750-1900) by S. Fisher, p.185 (1972)
"David Roberts, R.A." by Helen Guiterman (1978)
"David Roberts, R.A." by Katherine Sim (1984)
"The Orientalists Painter Travellers" (1828-1908) by Lynne Thornton, pp. 60-65. "Barbican Art Gallery" (catalogue) (1986) by Helen Guiterman and Briony Llewellyn Video tape-"David Roberts' Egypt"-written and narrated by George Hart of the British Museum.