Sidon from the South

Roberts arrived at Sidon on the evening of 28 April 1839 and left after breakfast the following morning. On arrival his party was prevented from entering the town and were led 'to a spot close to the sea, and south of the town, where, with great difficulty, we pitched our tents in the middle of a thunderstorm' (Roberts' journal, 28 April 1839; reprinted in Ran, op.cit., pp.IV, 45, 51). In the Holy Land Roberts is quoted as stating, 'The lover of nature in the East is continually liable to impediments arising from the absurdity of the people. The Artist and his party were placed under a guard, in a species of quaranteen (sic); but his admiration of the scene induced him to encounter all difficulties, and transfer the landscape to his portfolio'. He goes on, 'The small building in the foreground is called the Temple of Zebulon, and is held in great veneration alike by Moslims and Christians' (Holy Land, at pl.15).
We are grateful to Briony Llewellyn for her help in preparing this catalogue entry.