Convent of St. Catherine, Mount Sinai: Roberts' 19th C. Hand-Colored Lithograph, 1844

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This is an original 19th century hand-colored lithograph entitled "Convent of St. Catherine Mount Sinai Looking Towards the Plain of … Read more This is an original 19th century hand-colored lithograph entitled "Convent of St. Catherine Mount Sinai Looking Towards the Plain of the Encampment" by David Roberts, from his Egypt and Nubia volumes of the large folio edition, published in London by F. G. Moon in 1844. The lithographs were prepared by Louis Haghe (1806-1885) from drawings and paintings by Roberts. The resultant large folio editions of 'The Holy Land' and 'Egypt & Nubia' are considered the greatest lithographically illustrated works issued in the 19th century.

The print depicts a view of the imposing Convent of St. Catherine located on the slope of a hill on Mt. Sinai. There is a large plain in the background, surrounded by mountains. A long camel caravan is seen in the distance traveling towards the convent. A group of four men, presumably Arab, dressed in their colorful costumes, are conversing in the foreground.

The lithograph is signed in plate in the lower right beneath some rocks in the image and it is titled in the lower left, along with the date of Roberts' visit to the site, February 21, 1839. The lithographer and the title is in the lower right. These are reportedly in Roberts' own hand written script, as it appeared on the original sketch.

This striking hand-colored lithograph is printed on wove paper with wide margins. The sheet measures 17" high and 24" wide. There is a small, very faint faint spot in the upper portion of the left margin and minimal darkening of the edge of the upper margin, where the print was originally bound. The print is otherwise in very good condition.

The drawings and watercolours from Roberts' tour of the Holy Land and Egypt were collated together into folios and released over a seven year period by the publisher F.G. Moon from 20 Threadneedle Street London. Louis Haghe (the Belgian engraver and friend of Roberts) worked on all of the lithographs for this series.

David Roberts (1796-1864) was born outside of Edinburgh, Scotland. At age 10 he became a house painter’s apprentice. He continued painting houses and eventually theater scenes in Edinburgh and then in London. His friend, J. M. W. Turner, recognized his artistic talent and encouraged him to become a full-time artist.

In 1839 Roberts traveled to Egypt and then in 1840, through the Holy Land, concluding in Jerusalem. Upon his return to England, F. G. Moon agreed to publish lithographs created by Louis Haghe from Robert’s sketches and watercolors. This publication was highly acclaimed and very popular for its esthetic quality, its historical and topographical accuracy, and Robert’s dramatic depiction of his scenes. Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens were among the subscribers who collected his works. Roberts' and Haghe’s duotone lithographs, often colored, remain extremely sought-after today and have been rising steadily in value. See less