David Roberts – Ashkelon – color lithograph, 1839.
Roberts [1796-1864] started his career as a stage backdrop artist and received no formal training in art; he rose to prominence following a journey he took to the Middle East over 11 months 1838-9, when he drew almost everything he came across. He returned to London with 272 sketches in his bag. He transferred the sketches to lithographs which were distributed to the broad public, who encountered authentic views of the Land of Israel and the surrounding areas for the first time. Roberts’ works are considered the first and most important of the early 19th century. They provided the first vivid depiction of the Land of Israel to European residents who had until then only been acquainted with views of the Land from holy scriptures.
Size: 32×48 cm. Size of leaf: 44×62 cm.