Petra: Ancient Watch-Tower - David Roberts
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed lithograph by David Roberts depicting the monumental rock formations and ancient architecture of Petra, featuring travellers in the foreground.
David Roberts, a Scottish painter, travelled to the Near East in 1839 to document the architectural remains of the region. This work captures the dramatic rock formations of Petra, specifically the structure known as the Ancient Watch-Tower. Roberts possessed a keen eye for the scale of these geological features, contrasting the massive, weathered sandstone cliffs with the small figures of travellers and their camels in the foreground.
The composition relies on the interplay between the solid, imposing mass of the rock and the open, arid space of the desert floor. Roberts used a precise, measured approach to his draughtsmanship, ensuring that the geological strata and the man-made additions to the cliff face remained clear. His work was later published in the multi-volume series, The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia, which brought images of these remote locations to a wide European audience.
In this print, the light source is low, casting long shadows that define the texture of the stone. The figures are rendered with minimal detail, serving primarily to provide a sense of scale against the monumental environment. The palette is dominated by the warm, earthy tones of the desert, reflecting the artist's direct observation of the site. This piece provides a record of Petra as it appeared to nineteenth-century explorers, before the site became a major centre for international tourism. It remains a fine example of the topographical tradition that defined much of the travel art produced during this period.
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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.
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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
Petra: Ancient Watch-Tower - 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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