Nablus, Ancient Shechem - David Roberts
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed 1839 lithograph by David Roberts depicting the city of Nablus, featuring a travelling caravan in the foreground and the mountains of the West Bank.
David Roberts, a Scottish painter known for his meticulous documentation of the Near East, produced this view of Nablus during his extensive travels in 1839. The work captures the city of Nablus, historically identified as the site of ancient Shechem, nestled within the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Roberts utilised his background in theatrical scene painting to construct a composition that balances the vast, arid topography of the region with the human activity in the foreground.
The print features a caravan of travellers and camels moving along a path, providing a sense of scale against the imposing mountains. In the immediate foreground, scattered architectural fragments suggest the historical depth of the location. The city itself is rendered with careful attention to its stone structures, minarets, and the surrounding foliage. The sky is kept pale and expansive, allowing the light to wash over the valley floor and define the contours of the hills.
This image was later published as part of the lithographic series 'The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia'. The plates were prepared by Louis Haghe, who translated Roberts's original watercolours into the lithographic medium. The collaboration between the two men resulted in a high level of detail, particularly in the rendering of the stone textures and the atmospheric perspective of the distant hills. The work functions as a visual record of the mid-nineteenth-century Middle East, reflecting the European interest in the geography and architecture of the region during this period. The muted palette, dominated by ochres, soft greys, and pale blues, maintains a sense of realism consistent with Roberts's topographical approach.
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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
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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
Nablus, Ancient Shechem - 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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