Jerusalem - David Roberts
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed topographical watercolour of Jerusalem by David Roberts, capturing the city walls and the Dome of the Rock with architectural precision.
David Roberts, a Scottish painter known for his meticulous documentation of architectural sites, travelled to the Near East in 1839. This work captures the city of Jerusalem from a vantage point that emphasises the relationship between the ancient stone structures and the surrounding topography. The Dome of the Rock occupies the centre of the composition, rendered with a precision that reflects Roberts's background as a scene painter for theatres.
His approach to this subject is defined by a balance of architectural accuracy and atmospheric observation. The foreground features figures in traditional dress, providing a sense of scale against the vast, arid terrain. Roberts uses a muted palette of ochre, soft grey, and pale blue to convey the quality of light in the region. The washes are applied with a controlled hand, allowing the texture of the paper to contribute to the depiction of the rocky slopes and the weathered masonry of the city walls.
This image is part of a larger body of work produced following his extensive travels, which were later published as lithographs. These prints were instrumental in shaping the European perception of the Middle East during the nineteenth century. Roberts avoids overly dramatic flourishes, preferring instead to record the scene with a documentary sensibility. The composition draws the eye across the valley, leading the viewer toward the fortified walls and the iconic dome. It is a study of light, form, and historical architecture, presented with the clarity characteristic of his best topographical work. The inclusion of small, anecdotal figures adds a human element to the otherwise monumental scale of the city, grounding the scene in a specific moment of observation.
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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
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
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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
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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