Tiberias, from the Walls, Safet in the Distance - David Roberts
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed topographical lithograph by David Roberts, capturing the ancient city of Tiberias and the distant mountains of Safet in 1839.
David Roberts, a Scottish painter known for his meticulous documentation of the Near East, produced this work during his extensive travels in 1839. The composition captures the ancient city of Tiberias, situated on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, with the distant heights of Safet visible against the horizon. Roberts possessed a keen eye for architectural detail and atmospheric conditions, elements that define his approach to topographical art.
The foreground features weathered stone structures and arched ruins, which provide a sense of scale and historical depth. Figures are positioned on the masonry, offering a human element to the vast, arid terrain. The middle ground reveals the fortified walls of Tiberias, punctuated by a slender minaret and domed buildings. Beyond the city, the terrain rises towards the mountains, rendered with soft, muted washes that suggest the hazy light of the region. The reflection of the architecture in the calm water creates a balanced visual rhythm, drawing the eye across the expanse of the lake.
This print is part of the broader collection of lithographs published following Roberts's journey through Egypt, the Holy Land, and Syria. His work provided a visual record of these regions for a nineteenth-century European audience, often balancing scientific observation with a romanticised view of antiquity. The technical execution demonstrates his proficiency in capturing both the structural integrity of the ruins and the expansive, open quality of the Middle Eastern environment. The palette remains restrained, relying on sepia tones and subtle watercolour tints to convey the heat and stillness of the scene. This piece remains a primary example of the intersection between travel documentation and fine art during the Victorian era.
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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
Tiberias, from the Walls, Safet in the Distance - 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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