Triumphal Arch Crossing the Ravine Leading to Petra - David Roberts
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed lithograph by David Roberts capturing the dramatic stone archway at the entrance to the ancient city of Petra.
This lithograph depicts the dramatic entrance to the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. David Roberts, a Scottish painter, travelled to the Near East in 1839 to document the architecture and geography of the region. His sketches were later transformed into a series of lithographs by Louis Haghe, which gained wide circulation across Europe.
The composition focuses on the Siq, the narrow gorge that serves as the primary access point to the city. A stone arch spans the high, vertical rock walls, creating a sense of scale that dwarfs the figures in the foreground. Roberts employs a light, muted palette to capture the sun-bleached sandstone of the ravine. The figures, dressed in local attire, provide a sense of human presence against the geological formations.
Roberts was known for his technical precision and his ability to convey the atmosphere of remote locations. His work provided many nineteenth-century viewers with their first visual encounter with the ruins of Petra. The print captures the interplay of light and shadow within the deep canyon, a characteristic feature of his documentation of the site. The architectural elements are rendered with clarity, reflecting his background as a scene painter for theatres in Edinburgh and London. This print is a representative example of the nineteenth-century interest in documenting historical sites through travel and 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
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- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
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- 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
Triumphal Arch Crossing the Ravine Leading to Petra - 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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