The convent of St. Saba, near Ungedi

Details

David Roberts, R.A. (1796-1864)
The convent of St. Saba, near Ungedi
signed and dated 'DAVID ROBERTS R.A./1845' (lower left) and with inscription 'Convent of St. Saba/Wilderness of Engedi' (on the reverse)
pencil and watercolour, heightened with touches of white
10½ x 75/8 in. (26.7 x 19.3 cm.)

Exhibited

London, Colnaghi's, Exhibition of English Drawings, Watercolours and Paintings, 14 November - 7 December 1973, no. 60.

Special notice

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Lot Essay

Roberts executed another drawing of this subject in landscape format, on which the lithograph published in David Roberts' Holy Land, London, 1842, is based. In the lithograph the convent is much larger and there are figures resting on the rock in the foreground. Roberts also executed a view of the interior of the chapel of St. Saba and recorded in his journal on 4 May 1839 the impressive architecture 'The capitals (Corinthian) are of the most exquisite proportion, and, with the frieze and cornice, are so deeply and boldly cut, that I think they must have been carved after being erected.' The chapel belonged to one of the chief Greek Monastries of Palestine.

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