Fortress of Aqaba - David Roberts
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed watercolour by David Roberts depicting the historic fortress at Aqaba, rendered with precise architectural observation and atmospheric desert light.
David Roberts, a Scottish painter known for his meticulous documentation of the Near East, produced this watercolour during his extensive travels in 1839. The work depicts the fortress at Aqaba, situated on the northern tip of the Red Sea. Roberts employed a precise, observational approach to capture the architectural form of the structure, which is set against a backdrop of arid, mountainous terrain. The horizontal bands of masonry on the fortress walls are rendered with careful attention to the play of light and shadow, a characteristic feature of his architectural studies.
In the foreground, Roberts includes small figures dressed in traditional attire, which provide a sense of scale to the imposing stone walls. The inclusion of palm trees to the right adds a vertical element that balances the composition. His technique involves thin washes of colour, allowing the texture of the paper to remain visible, which contributes to the atmospheric quality of the desert scene. This piece is part of the broader body of work that Roberts compiled following his journey through Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Holy Land.
These sketches were later lithographed by Louis Haghe and published in the multi-volume set, The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia. The original watercolours demonstrate Roberts's ability to combine architectural accuracy with a keen eye for the specific light conditions of the region. By focusing on the interplay between the man-made structure and the natural environment, he provides a clear record of the site as it appeared in the mid-nineteenth century. The work remains a primary source for those interested in the history of travel art and the visual documentation of the Middle East during the Victorian era.
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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.
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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.
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
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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
Fortress of Aqaba - 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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