Art, David Robers, Monuments

The theme for the week I missed was Monuments. I had prepared this blog as my contribution to the theme, then my computer had to go away and I thought I had lost it forever. By some small miracle I seem to have retrieved it. This entry was to be about an Artist called David Roberts. David Roberts was born in Scotland in 1776 and from an early age he sketched the castles and monuments of the Scottish landscape. After a seven year apprenticeship, Roberts started his artistic career as a scenery painter for the stage. This was a very normal practice for artists at the time and for him it gave a good understanding of architectural scale which he later used to his advantage in his representations of ancient architecture. He worked in many theatres across the country, including The Theatre Royal, Glasgow and Drury Lane, London. His work has accuracy and a tonal quality especially suited to the lithographic form he often used. These lithographs are known to have inspired one of Glasgow’s greatest architects Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson (1817-1875). Anyway; I just going on again….. This is the blog in its original form.

In 1832, wanting to further his reputation as an artist, David Roberts travelled to Spain where he produced paintings from which a series of lithographs were made. This spurred Roberts on to plan an expedition that was one of the most ambitious artistic enterprises of the 19th Century. It was J.M.W. Turner, who managed to persuade him to totally abandon scene painting and devote himself to becoming a true artist. Roberts set sail for Egypt on 31 August 1838 with the intention of producing drawings that he could later use as the basis for the paintings and lithographs to sell to the public. Egypt was very much in vogue at this time, and travellers, collectors and lovers of antiquities were very keen to buy works depicting the great monuments of ancient Egypt or inspired by the East. With a letter of introduction from the Foreign Office, Roberts headed off to Egypt to meet with Colonel Cambell, Consul General for Egypt. From here he planned to travel throughout Egypt and Nubia and then on to The Holy Land and Syria. Roberts' aim was to explore the major Biblical and Ancient monumental sites, documenting them through hundreds of incredibly detailed drawings and sketches. He made a long tour in Egypt, Nubia, the Sinai, the Holy Land, Jordan and Lebanon. Throughout, he produced a vast collection of drawings and watercolour sketches.

He was received by Muhammad Ali Pasha in Alexandria on 16 May 1839, shortly before his return to Britain. He later reproduced this scene (apparently from memory) in Volume 3 of Egypt & Nubia.
When he returned to England he commissioned Francis Graham Moon to publish the work and entrusted Mr Louis Haghe to create the lithographs. In order to finance the printing, Moon recruited private subscribers who would receive a hand coloured deluxe edition of the lithographs, which later became known as the 'subscribers edition'. The complete work, published between 1842 and 1849 consisted of six folio volumes comprising 247 lithographs. The work was a huge and immediate success and this magnificent achievement brought him lasting fame and respect.

His portrait was painted by fellow Scot;  Robert Scott Lauder in 1840  upon his return to Edinburgh, This portrait was purchased in 1980 by the National Gallery of Scotland.

On his return to Britain and while working with lithographer Louis Haghe between  1842 and  1849 they  produced the lavishly illustrated plates of the Sketches in the Holy Land and Syria, 1842-1849 and Egypt & Nubia series. These were funded by advance subscriptions solicited directly by Roberts. The scenery and monuments of Egypt and Holy Land were fashionable but had hitherto been hardly touched by British artists, and so Roberts quickly accumulated 400 subscription commitments.

He was fêted by Scottish society, such as being the guest of honour at a dinner on October 19, 1842, at which Lord Cockburn presided

In 1851, and again in 1853, Roberts visited Italy, painting the Ducal Palace, Venice, bought by Lord Londesborough, the Interior of the Basilica of St Peters, Rome, Christmas Day, 1853, and Rome from the Convent of St Onofrio, presented to the Royal Scottish Academy.

His last volume of illustrations, Italy, Classical, Historical and Picturesque, was published in 1859. He also executed, by command of Queen Victoria, a picture of the opening of the Great Exhibition of 1851. In. 1839 he was elected an associate and in 1841 a full member of the Royal Academy; and in 1858 he was presented with the freedom of the city of Edinburgh. The last years of his life were occupied with a series of views of London from the Thames. He had executed six of these, and was at work upon a picture of St Paul's Cathedral, when he died suddenly of apoplexy.

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delete reply wickedlyinnocent wrote on Jul 9, '08 I've finally made it to this brilliant blog, thanks for the information on the artist's life and also for the works you have selected. I think I haven't posted an entry on Monuments, as I spent that Sunday in hospital, but maybe I have and I've forgotten, I'll check. Have a lovely evening and again thanks for Scotland and its artists. Hugs.

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Jul 8, '08 Another good artist and again someone that I didn't know about before. Really I didn't realise Scotland had so many great artists. I'll come back to visit them again, especially The Glasgow Girls whom I found very impressive.

delete reply starfishred wrote on Jul 8, '08 He was really really good I am glad you decided to show us thi is just wonderful.

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Jul 8, '08 The picture "Portico of the Temple of Bacchus" is an amazing work. His use of color (blue sky, reds in the clothing of the visitors) totally sets off the hues of the temple. The center stone hanging there is a statement of the fragility of the moment and is also very dramatic. You are teaching me so much.