Gaza - David Roberts
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed 1839 lithograph by David Roberts, capturing the city of Gaza from a vantage point among ancient ruins.
This lithograph depicts the ancient city of Gaza as observed by David Roberts during his extensive travels through the Near East in 1839. Roberts, a Scottish painter, travelled extensively to document the architecture and topography of the region. His work was subsequently published in the multi-volume series, The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia, which brought these distant locations to a British audience.
The composition employs a wide, panoramic perspective. In the foreground, weathered stone fragments and architectural ruins sit upon a ridge, providing a sense of scale and historical depth. A small group of figures, dressed in traditional attire, rests near these remnants, observing the city in the distance. The middle ground transitions into a sweeping plain, leading the eye toward the city of Gaza, which sits upon a low rise. The architecture of the city, including minarets and flat-roofed dwellings, is rendered with precise detail against the horizon.
Roberts utilised a muted palette of ochre, sandy beige, and soft blue to capture the arid atmosphere of the region. The light is diffused, suggesting a warm, hazy day. The lithographic process, executed by Louis Haghe, translates Roberts' original watercolour sketches into a medium that allows for fine tonal gradations and clear architectural lines. This print offers a view of the city as it appeared in the mid-nineteenth century, documenting both the physical environment and the cultural presence of the time. The work remains a primary source for those interested in the history of travel illustration and the documentation of the Levant during the Victorian era.
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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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Manufacturing
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
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- 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
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- 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
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
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
Gaza - 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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