David Roberts, R.A. (1796-1864)
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David Roberts, R.A. (1796-1864)

A view from Calton Hill looking east north east with in the foreground: the monument to Dougal Stewart to the right against the backdrop of Salisbury Crags is the Palace of Holyrood House and the Abbey Kirk, to the left over Portobello the Firth of Forth, the Bass Rock and North Berwick Law.

Details
David Roberts, R.A. (1796-1864)
A view from Calton Hill looking east north east with in the foreground: the monument to Dougal Stewart to the right against the backdrop of Salisbury Crags is the Palace of Holyrood House and the Abbey Kirk, to the left over Portobello the Firth of Forth, the Bass Rock and North Berwick Law.
signed and dated 'David Roberts R.A. 1863' (lower left)
oil on canvas
19¾ x 29¾ in. (50.3 x 75.5 cm.)
Provenance
Painted for Earnest Gambart Esq.;
John Guest Esq.; Christie's, London, 6 June 1863, lot 155, as 'Edinburgh, from the Calton Hill: View Looking East.' (bt. in.);
A. Grant Esq.; Christie's, London, 14 November 1863, lot 61, as 'Edinburgh Castle, View Looking East' (275 gns. to Hooper);
Jose de Muiretta Esq.; Christie's, London, 23 May 1873, lot 277 (bt. in.);
Mclean; Christie's, London, 21 February 1874, lot 176, as 'Edinburgh and Holyrood Palace from Dougal Stewart Monument' (135 gns. to Tooth); John Graham of Skelmorlie, by 1874; sold (+), Christie's, London, 30 April 1887, lot 24, as 'Holyrood from Calton Hill' (80 gns. to Mclean);
Frederick Nettleford (+); Christie's, London, 5 June 1913, lot 135, as 'Edinburgh from the Calton Hill: view looking East' (30 gns. to Cassell);
A. Coulter Esq.; Christie's, London, 28 January 1955, lot 183, as 'Edinburgh from Calton Hill' (48 gns. to Doig).
Literature
Robert's Record Book (no.242).
Letter from Roberts to Col. McNeven, 19 Nov 1862.
Art Journal, 1874, p. 120, and 1887, p. 338.
R. Ballantine, The Life of David Roberts, R.A., Edinburgh, 1866, no. 266 and p.215.
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis. Notice to Buyers Resident in Scotland Payment and collections may be made immediately following the end of the sale until 7.00pm. Collections may be made on Friday, 27 October 2000 from 9.00 am until 1.00 pm, after which all lots purchased by Scottish residents will be transported free of charge to either our Glasgow office, tel 44(0)141 332 8134 or to our Edinburgh office, tel 44(0)131 225 4756 where they will be available from 9.00 am on Monday, 30 October. Notice to Buyers outside Scotland Purchases made by buyers with addresses outside Scotland will be transferred to Christie's, 8 King Street, London SW1, for collection from noon on Monday, 30 October 2000. Purchases are only insured for a period of seven working days following the sale.
Sale room notice
Please note the correct spelling of Calton Hill and not as stated in the catalogue.

Lot Essay

A companion picture to Edinburgh from Calton Hill, looking West (1863), also painted for Gambart and now in the collection of the Guildhall Art Gallery, corporation of the city of london. Roberts wrote to Col. MacNeven on 19 Nov 1862: 'I am at the present time on two smaller works one of Holyrood from Calton Hill and the companion from the same hill looking west, with the Old Castle Pentland the Corstorphin in the distance so that if "my heart (is not) in the Highlands a "chasing the Deer" it is the town of my boyhood - which is better."' (National Library of Scotland).

We are grateful to Krystyna Matyjaszkiewicz for her help in the preparation of this catalogue entry.

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