ROBERTS, David (1796-1864, artist) and George CROLY (1780-1860). The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia. London: F.G. Moon, 1842-1849.
ROBERTS, David (1796-1864, artist) and George CROLY (1780-1860). The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia. London: F.G. Moon, 1842-1849. 6 volumes in 5, 2 o (604 x 480 mm). Mounted lithographic frontispiece portrait of Roberts on india paper by and after C. Baugniet, hand-colored lithographic titles, 241 plates finely colored and finished by hand and mounted on card, all by L. Haghe after Roberts, 2 engraved maps, text and plates mounted on guards. (Some plates slightly cockled, some occasional light spotting, minor mostly marginal dampstaining to a few plates, a few guards reinforced, volume 2 of Egypt and Nubia with short tear to image, and text leaf for plate 59 with marginal tear, lacking description of title vignette in volume one.) Contemporary red morocco elaborately gilt, edges gilt (some light rubbing). FIRST EDITION OF THE MOST DESIREABLE HAND-COLORED ISSUE (ON CARD) OF ROBERTS' MONUMENTAL WORK ON THE HOLY LAND, SYRIA, IDUMEA, ARABIA, EGYPT AND NUBIA. "One of the most important and elaborate ventures of nineteenth-century publishing, and... the apotheosis of the tinted lithograph" (Abbey p. 341). It is masterfully illustrated by Louis Haghe's lithography, of which Roberts wrote, "Haghe has not only surpassed himself, but all that has hitherto been done of a similar nature. He has rendered the views in a style clear, simple and unlaboured, with a masterly vigour and boldness which none but a painter like him could have transferred to stone." After an apprenticeship to the Scottish house-painter, Gavin Buego, Roberts became assistant scene painter at the Pantheon theater in Edinburgh. He continued scene painting in Glasgow and finally, in 1821, was hired to work with Clarkson Stanfield at the Drury Lane theatre in London. Both artists exhibited at the Society of British Artists, Royal Academy and British Institution, and by 1830 Roberts was firmly established as a topographical artist and was able to give up his work in the theatre. In these early years he toured the Continent and Scotland, and in 1832-33 visited Spain, the result of which was his Picturesque Sketches in Spain (1837). In 1838 he made plans for a journey to the Near East, inspired by his passion for artistic adventure. He departed in August 1839 for Alexandria and spent the remainder of the year in Cairo and visiting the major tombs and sites of Egypt. The following February he journeyed to the Holy Land, making stops in Suez, Mount Sinai and Petra. He spent time in Gaza before entering Jerusalem and concluded his tour by spending several months visiting the biblical sites of the Holy Land. Roberts returned to England at the end of 1839 and submitted his drawings to F. G. Moon in 1840. Moon arranged to bring out a volume of Scripture history, paying Roberts 3,000 pounds for the copyright of the sketches and for overseeing Haghe's efforts. The Holy Land was originally published in 3 states: tinted, with tinted proofs, and colored and mounted on card (as here). It was issued in 41 parts over 7 years "containing all the plates listed [in Abbey] but not in the same order." (Abbey). Abbey, Travel 272 and 385; Tooley 401. (5)
ROBERTS, David (1796-1864, artist) and George CROLY (1780-1860). The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia. London: F.G. Moon, 1842-1849.
ROBERTS, David (1796-1864, artist) and George CROLY (1780-1860). The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia. London: F.G. Moon, 1842-1849. 6 volumes in 5, 2 o (604 x 480 mm). Mounted lithographic frontispiece portrait of Roberts on india paper by and after C. Baugniet, hand-colored lithographic titles, 241 plates finely colored and finished by hand and mounted on card, all by L. Haghe after Roberts, 2 engraved maps, text and plates mounted on guards. (Some plates slightly cockled, some occasional light spotting, minor mostly marginal dampstaining to a few plates, a few guards reinforced, volume 2 of Egypt and Nubia with short tear to image, and text leaf for plate 59 with marginal tear, lacking description of title vignette in volume one.) Contemporary red morocco elaborately gilt, edges gilt (some light rubbing). FIRST EDITION OF THE MOST DESIREABLE HAND-COLORED ISSUE (ON CARD) OF ROBERTS' MONUMENTAL WORK ON THE HOLY LAND, SYRIA, IDUMEA, ARABIA, EGYPT AND NUBIA. "One of the most important and elaborate ventures of nineteenth-century publishing, and... the apotheosis of the tinted lithograph" (Abbey p. 341). It is masterfully illustrated by Louis Haghe's lithography, of which Roberts wrote, "Haghe has not only surpassed himself, but all that has hitherto been done of a similar nature. He has rendered the views in a style clear, simple and unlaboured, with a masterly vigour and boldness which none but a painter like him could have transferred to stone." After an apprenticeship to the Scottish house-painter, Gavin Buego, Roberts became assistant scene painter at the Pantheon theater in Edinburgh. He continued scene painting in Glasgow and finally, in 1821, was hired to work with Clarkson Stanfield at the Drury Lane theatre in London. Both artists exhibited at the Society of British Artists, Royal Academy and British Institution, and by 1830 Roberts was firmly established as a topographical artist and was able to give up his work in the theatre. In these early years he toured the Continent and Scotland, and in 1832-33 visited Spain, the result of which was his Picturesque Sketches in Spain (1837). In 1838 he made plans for a journey to the Near East, inspired by his passion for artistic adventure. He departed in August 1839 for Alexandria and spent the remainder of the year in Cairo and visiting the major tombs and sites of Egypt. The following February he journeyed to the Holy Land, making stops in Suez, Mount Sinai and Petra. He spent time in Gaza before entering Jerusalem and concluded his tour by spending several months visiting the biblical sites of the Holy Land. Roberts returned to England at the end of 1839 and submitted his drawings to F. G. Moon in 1840. Moon arranged to bring out a volume of Scripture history, paying Roberts 3,000 pounds for the copyright of the sketches and for overseeing Haghe's efforts. The Holy Land was originally published in 3 states: tinted, with tinted proofs, and colored and mounted on card (as here). It was issued in 41 parts over 7 years "containing all the plates listed [in Abbey] but not in the same order." (Abbey). Abbey, Travel 272 and 385; Tooley 401. (5)
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