Baalbek, General View - David Roberts
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
Secure checkout
Made to order
Description
A detailed watercolour by David Roberts depicting the Roman ruins at Baalbek, featuring local figures in the foreground against the ancient temple structures.
David Roberts, a Scottish painter, travelled extensively through the Near East during the late 1830s. His objective was to document the architectural remains of ancient civilisations. This work depicts the Roman ruins at Baalbek, situated in modern-day Lebanon. Roberts captures the scale of the Temple of Bacchus and the surrounding structures against a vast, arid horizon.
The composition employs a low viewpoint, which allows the artist to place local figures in the foreground. These individuals provide a sense of scale, contrasting the human presence with the monumental stone blocks of the temple complex. Roberts uses a controlled palette of ochre, sandy beige, and soft blue to convey the harsh light of the region. His technique relies on precise draughtsmanship, which he later translated into lithographic prints for his publication, The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia.
Unlike many of his contemporaries who romanticised these locations, Roberts maintained a focus on accurate architectural representation. He documented the state of the ruins as they appeared during his visit, noting the erosion and the scattered fragments of columns that litter the site. The work reflects the nineteenth-century European fascination with the history of the Levant. It serves as a visual record of the site before modern restoration efforts altered its appearance. The clarity of the light and the attention to the texture of the weathered stone demonstrate his skill in watercolour, a medium he utilised to record his observations while travelling. This print offers a view into the methodology of a professional artist working in the field, balancing the demands of topographical accuracy with the aesthetic requirements of his audience back in Britain.
Return policy
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.
Shipping
We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
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.
Care and materials
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
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- 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
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
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
Baalbek, General View - 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.
Why Choose Us ?
Damage-free delivery guarantee
Fast Shipping
Museum-Quality Materials
You May Also Like