top of page
DSC05679.JPG
Plate 99 Mount Hor, Cliffs encircling Petra - After David Roberts
  • Plate 99 Mount Hor, Cliffs encircling Petra - After David Roberts

    Roberts wished at all costs to climb to the peak of the hill that dominated the campground in order to take in a bird's eye view of the city of Petra. He was unfortunately unaware of the other hills in the landscape behind this one which blocked Petra from being seen. However, the view was clearly spectacular that greeted Roberts based on this work. Beneath his feet were the ravines of El Ghor and Wadi Arabah, the rocks of Mt. Seir glittered in the splendid sunset, and in the distance, directly in before him, towered the majestic bulk of Mt. Hor, at the foot of which the people of Israel pitched their tents arfter the flight from Egypt. It was here that the destiny of Aaron was fulfilled, when the Lord ordered Moses to lead him to the summit of hte mountain' (1). Aaron died on the summit and was mounred for thirty days in the House of Israel (Numbers 20: 28-29).

     

    The drawings and watercolours from this tour of the Holy Land and Egypt were collated together into folios and released over a seven year period by the publisher F.G. Moon from 20 Threadneedle Street London. This lithograph is from the Royal Subscription Edition (1842-1849) with only 500 copies produced per depiction. Louis Haghe (the Belgian engraver and friend of Roberts) worked on all of the lithographs for this series.

     

    Medium: Original Royal Subscription Edition, half-plate hand-coloured lithograph on thick woven paper. 

     

    Inscribed on lithograph l.r. 'David Roberts R.A. Gebil Hor March 5th 1839', 24.5 x 34.6 cm (picture size), mounted.

     

    Half Plate 99.


    Condition report: excellent.

     

    References:

     

    (1) Fabio Bourbon (ed). Yesterday and Today: The Holy Land, Lithographs and Diaries by David Roberts R.A., Swan Hill Press: London, p.96.

      £0.00Price
      bottom of page