Gate of Damascus, Jerusalem - David Roberts
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed lithograph by David Roberts depicting the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, capturing the architectural scale and local activity of the mid-nineteenth century.
David Roberts, a Scottish painter, travelled to the Near East in 1839 to document the architecture and daily life of the region. This work depicts the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, a structure that has long served as a primary entrance to the Old City. Roberts utilised his background in theatrical scene painting to capture the scale of the stone fortifications, balancing the imposing nature of the gate with the human activity occurring in the foreground.
The composition focuses on the contrast between the monumental, sun-bleached masonry of the gate and the figures gathered outside. Camels and local inhabitants are rendered with precise detail, providing a sense of scale and atmosphere. Roberts employed a muted palette, allowing the architectural features, such as the crenellations and the arched entrance, to remain the primary focus. His work was later published in the multi-volume series, The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia, which brought images of these distant locations to a wider British audience.
This print captures the specific light and texture of the region, reflecting the artist's keen observation of his surroundings. The lithographic process, enhanced by subtle watercolour washes, preserves the clarity of his original sketches. It offers a view of Jerusalem as it appeared in the mid-nineteenth century, documenting both the physical state of the city walls and the social environment of the period. The work remains a record of the intersection between European artistic interest in the Near East and the reality of the sites visited by Roberts during his extensive travels.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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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.
Care and materials
Specific Features
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- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
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- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
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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
Gate of Damascus, Jerusalem - 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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