Encampment of Pilgrims, Jericho - David Roberts
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed lithograph by David Roberts depicting a pilgrim encampment near Jericho, observed during his 1839 travels through the Holy Land.
This lithograph, titled Encampment of Pilgrims, Jericho, captures a scene observed by David Roberts during his extensive travels through the Near East in 1839. Roberts, a Scottish painter, gained recognition for his meticulous documentation of architectural sites and local customs across Egypt, the Holy Land, and Syria. His work provided nineteenth-century audiences with a visual record of regions that were then largely inaccessible to the general public.
The composition depicts a temporary settlement situated within the arid terrain near Jericho. In the foreground, groups of figures are gathered in various states of repose and conversation, their attire rendered with attention to the specific textiles and garments of the period. The mid-ground features large, striped tents, which serve as the primary shelter for the pilgrims. Beyond the encampment, the hazy, muted hills suggest the expansive geography of the Jordan Valley. Roberts employs a balanced use of line and wash, characteristic of the lithographic process, to convey both the scale of the environment and the human activity within it.
This print belongs to the broader collection of works published following Roberts's return to Britain, which were instrumental in shaping European perceptions of the Middle East. The artist's ability to combine topographical accuracy with a sense of narrative atmosphere is evident here. The work avoids excessive ornamentation, focusing instead on the observational quality of the scene. It remains a record of the social and physical conditions encountered by travellers during this era of exploration. The print demonstrates the technical proficiency of the lithographic medium in reproducing the subtle tonal variations of Roberts's original sketches, allowing for the wide dissemination of his observations.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
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Specific Features
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Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Encampment of Pilgrims, Jericho - David Roberts
Artist Biography
David Roberts
In 1838 he sailed for Egypt and spent the next two years travelling through the Middle East, filling sketchbooks with drawings of temples, mosques, ruins and desert landscapes that almost no British artist had recorded before. To enter the mosques he had to shave off his sideburns, leave his hog-hair brushes behind (the pig being unclean), and wear traditional Arab clothing while he worked. He was one of the first Europeans allowed to paint inside a mosque.
The sketches became The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt and Nubia, a series of 247 lithograph plates produced in collaboration with the printer Louis Haghe between 1842 and 1849. He funded the project through advance subscriptions, soliciting them personally. Queen Victoria was subscriber number one. Her complete set is still in the Royal Collection.
The lithographs gave Europeans their first detailed visual record of the ancient Near East. They were bought as art, used as reference by scholars, and shaped the Western imagination of Egypt and Palestine for the rest of the century.
His personal life was less composed. His wife Margaret became an alcoholic and in 1831 he sent her back to Scotland to be cared for by friends. He raised their daughter Christine largely alone. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1841, a considerable achievement for a man who had started painting houses, and worked steadily until his death in 1864.
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