The Exterior of the Holy Sepulchre and Calvary - David Roberts
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed lithograph by David Roberts depicting the Chapel of Calvary within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, captured during his 1839 travels.
David Roberts, a Scottish painter known for his meticulous documentation of Near Eastern architecture, produced this work following his extensive travels in the Holy Land during 1839. This image captures the interior atmosphere of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, specifically focusing on the Chapel of Calvary. Roberts possessed a keen eye for structural detail, which he combined with a dramatic sense of light to convey the solemnity of the site.
The composition is framed by a large, rounded arch that draws the viewer into the sacred space. Within this enclosure, a series of hanging lamps creates a rhythmic pattern, leading the eye toward the central crucifix. The figures depicted in the foreground provide a sense of scale, their presence suggesting the ongoing religious activity within the church. Roberts used a controlled palette of warm, earthy tones to replicate the stone textures and the soft glow of candlelight, which defines the shadows and highlights across the vaulted ceiling and the altar.
This print is part of the broader collection titled 'The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia', which was published between 1842 and 1849. The lithographic process, executed by Louis Haghe, successfully translated Roberts's original sketches into a format that brought the architecture of the Levant to a wider British audience. The work remains a precise record of the site as it appeared in the mid-nineteenth century, reflecting the artist's ability to balance topographical accuracy with a sense of atmospheric depth. The attention to the interplay between the architectural geometry and the human figures creates a balanced scene, typical of Roberts's approach to documenting historical and religious sites during his career.
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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
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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
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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
The Exterior of the Holy Sepulchre and Calvary - 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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