David Roberts

Key facts

Lived

1796–1864, British

Movements

• Realism
• Romanticism

Works held in

4 museums^[1]

Plan your visit to see David Roberts →

• How did david roberts die?+

  David Roberts worked steadily until his death in 1864.
• What is David Roberts's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to name David Roberts's single most famous work, as fame is subjective and fluctuates over time. However, some of his most recognised paintings include: * *Erasistratus Discovering the Cause of Antiochus’ Disease* * *Andromache Mourning Hector* * *Oath of the Horatii* * *The Death of Socrates* * *The Lictors Bring to Brutus the Bodies of His Sons* * *Sketch of ‘The Tennis Court Oath’* * *The Death of Marat* * *Self Portrait of Jacques-Louis David* * *Unfinished Portrait of General Bonaparte* * *The Intervention of the Sabine Women* * *Portrait of Madame Récamier* * *Leonidas at Thermopylae* * *Napoleon Crossing the Alps* * *The Coronation of Napoleon* * *The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries* * *Portrait of Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès* * *Mars Being Disarmed by Venus and the Three Graces* Other well-known works are *The Barque of Dante* (1822), *The Massacre at Chios* (1824), *Liberty Leading the People* (1830), *The Women of Algiers* (1834), and *Sultan of Morocco* (1845).
• What should I know about David Roberts's prints?+

  David Roberts (1796-1864) was a Scottish painter, particularly known for his detailed architectural paintings and prints of Egypt and the Near East. Roberts's prints gained popularity in Victorian England. The prints allowed a wider audience to experience the artist's vision of distant lands. Prints were often sold via subscription, sometimes years before publication. Despite the wait, subscribers knew they would receive a high-quality engraving. Publishers used titles to attract buyers; size was also a factor. Prints were expected to be large enough to fill a wall and take on the importance of fine works of art when framed. The Art Union (later the Art Journal) was a primary source of print reviews. Reviewers often linked the artist's reputation to the engraver's work. The Pre-Raphaelites also had their works photoengraved, which helped keep their images before the public.
• What style or movement did David Roberts belong to?+

  David Roberts was active during a period that saw the rise of Romanticism, Academic art, and Realism. Romanticism, which began in the early 1800s, emphasised emotion and stood in opposition to Neoclassicism. Romantic artists valued intuition, passion, the power of nature, and individual heroism. Imagination was prized, and established rules were rejected. Subjectivity took precedence over reason. Artists such as Delacroix, Turner, and Friedrich are examples of painters working in the Romantic style. Later in the 19th century, Realism emerged, partly as a result of the invention of photography in 1839. Realism was a revolt against emotionalism, stressing "truth to nature". Realists such as Courbet, Manet, and Millais focused on factual accuracy and avoided exaggeration.
• What techniques or materials did David Roberts use?+

  Information regarding David Roberts's specific techniques and materials is scarce. However, we can discuss the broader context of artistic materials available during his time. During the 19th century, artists' materials underwent significant changes due to mass production. This transformation meant artists were increasingly separated from the traditional knowledge of preparing their own materials. Practical expertise, once gained through apprenticeships and craft guilds, diminished as professional merchants took over material preparation. Some colour merchants blamed artists for using materials improperly, while others argued that artists, lacking knowledge of their colours' nature, could not distinguish quality. Some artists even preferred cheaper materials. Despite debates about quality, artists like Paul Delaroche used techniques such as grisaille underpainting, followed by colour application. Delaroche's palette included lead white, ochres, cobalt blue, and synthetic ultramarine. He also employed varnish-type painting mediums. The recipes for mediums were sometimes kept secret, as Charles Roberson's Medium demonstrates.
• What was David Roberts known for?+

  David Roberts was a 19th-century artist working during the Romanticism movement, which lasted roughly from 1800 to 1840. Romanticism appeared across Europe and America in art, music, literature, and poetry. It emphasised emotion, intuition, passion, and the power of nature. It rejected established rules, with subjectivity and individuality taking precedence over reason. Roberts is recognised for his detailed paintings and prints of architectural subjects and scenes from his travels. He produced many works depicting the Middle East and Egypt, often featuring ancient ruins and historical sites. These paintings captured the grandeur of these places, appealing to the Romantic interest in exotic and faraway locations. Roberts's style often incorporated elements of Realism, emphasising factual accuracy in his depictions. Realism developed partly as a revolt against emotionalism.
• When did David Roberts live and work?+

  David Roberts was born on 24 October 1796 in Edinburgh. He died on 25 November 1864 in London. Roberts began his career as a painter and stage designer in Scotland. By the 1830s, he had relocated to London, where he gained recognition for his detailed architectural paintings and cityscapes. Roberts travelled extensively throughout his career, documenting the architecture and daily life of various regions. He made trips to Spain and North Africa in the 1830s. From 1838 to 1840, he undertook a lengthy tour of the Middle East, visiting Egypt, Nubia, Palestine, and Syria. These travels provided him with material for many of his most successful works. Roberts's paintings and prints were popular during his lifetime, and he was elected to the Royal Academy in 1841. His work provides a record of important architectural sites.
• Where can I see David Roberts's work?+

  David Roberts's work can be viewed in several museums. In the United Kingdom, these include Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery, the National Museums of Scotland (Royal Museum, Edinburgh), and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Other locations include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, and the Wolfsonian at Florida International University in Miami Beach. Additional museums that may hold Roberts's pieces are the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the British Museum in London, the Freer Gallery of Art/Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC), and the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh also has works. Check with each museum for current holdings and exhibition details.
• Where was David Roberts from?+

  Several artists share the name 'David Roberts'. One such artist was Sir David Wilkie (1785-1841), a Scottish painter. Wilkie was born in Cults, Fife, to a parish minister and his wife. He attended local schools before pursuing art, studying at the Edinburgh College of Art (then called the Trustees’ Drawing Academy of Edinburgh). Wilkie's art promoted Scottish culture, depicting Scottish figures and history. His portrait of King George IV, *Visit of King George to Scotland* (1829), commemorates the king's 1822 visit, the first monarchic voyage to Scotland since 1650. The painting improved the king's standing in Scotland and highlighted Scottish national identity. After travels to Paris and Italy, Wilkie adopted a classically inspired style. Upon returning to England, he received praise for his aristocratic portraits.
• Who did David Roberts influence?+

  David Roberts's paintings of architectural ruins influenced other artists. Hubert Robert (1733-1808) obtained his ideas from Italy, where he admired ruin paintings by Giovanni Paolo Pannini. Robert was consulted when antique artworks needed placing in the park of Versailles. His work designing the Louvre Museum included the idea for top lighting and an antique effect, so the newly designed gallery would feel open to the sky. The sublimity of antique ruins was to be transferred to the real building, a treasure chest of art and a worthy successor to its antique models. Robert's influence is evident in the architectural paintings of Pannini and Piranesi. Something of Fragonard's spirit is tangible in Robert's later work, too.
• Who influenced David Roberts?+

  David Roberts, a Scottish painter, had several artistic influences that shaped his career. Early on, he apprenticed to a house painter and decorator, which provided a foundation in technical skills. His move towards theatrical scenery painting exposed him to dramatic compositions and perspective techniques. These skills proved useful in his later architectural and topographical works. Roberts's travels in Europe and the Middle East exposed him to different artistic traditions. These travels, especially his journeys to Egypt and the Near East, had a big effect on his artistic style and subject matter. The popularity of travel writing and imagery also played a role, as the public had an appetite for views of faraway places. Roberts admired the work of artists such as J.M.W. Turner and John Sell Cotman. Their influence can be seen in his handling of light and atmosphere, particularly in his watercolour paintings. Roberts's careful attention to detail and accurate depiction of architectural forms also reflect the influence of earlier topographical artists.
• Who was David Roberts?+

  David Roberts (1796-1864) was a Scottish painter, best known for his detailed architectural studies and Orientalist scenes. Born in Edinburgh, he began his career as a house painter and theatre scene painter. This background gave him a practical understanding of perspective and large-scale composition. Roberts travelled extensively throughout his life, documenting the architecture and culture of Europe and the Middle East. His journeys to Egypt, Nubia, and the Holy Land in the 1830s were particularly influential. He produced a large number of sketches and watercolours on location, which he later developed into oil paintings and lithographs back in his London studio. His series of lithographs, "The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia" (1842-1849), was a commercial success, bringing images of the Middle East to a wide audience. Roberts was elected to the Royal Academy in 1841. His work is valued for its accurate depiction of historical sites and its contribution to the 19th-century fascination with the Orient. He died in London in 1864, leaving behind a substantial body of work that continues to be admired by art historians and collectors.