Nazareth: The Fountain of the Virgin - David Roberts
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed lithograph by David Roberts depicting the Fountain of the Virgin in Nazareth, captured during his 1839 expedition to the Near East.
David Roberts, a Scottish painter, travelled extensively through the Near East between 1838 and 1839. This work, Nazareth: The Fountain of the Virgin, originates from his sketches made during this expedition. It was later published as part of his monumental series, The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia, which brought the architecture and daily life of the region to a wide European audience.
The composition captures a scene at the traditional site of the Virgin Mary's well in Nazareth. Roberts focuses on the stone archway and the surrounding figures, who are depicted in local dress. Women carry water vessels on their heads, while men on horseback and on foot gather near the structure. The artist uses a warm, sepia-toned palette to convey the arid climate and the dusty atmosphere of the location. His draughtsmanship is precise, reflecting his background as a scene painter for theatres, which allowed him to construct architectural depth with clarity.
This print demonstrates the meticulous observation characteristic of Roberts's work. He documents the textures of the stone, the folds of the garments, and the specific postures of the figures. The work functions as a visual record of mid-nineteenth-century Nazareth, providing a glimpse into the social activity surrounding a communal water source. The lithographic process, executed by Louis Haghe, preserves the tonal range of Roberts's original watercolours, ensuring that the play of light and shadow across the archway remains clear. This piece is an example of the topographical art that defined the Victorian interest in the geography and culture of the Levant.
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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
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- 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
Nazareth: The Fountain of the Virgin - 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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