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DAVID ROBERTS, R.A. | Approach of the Simoon, Desert of Gizeh [Giza]
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 GBP
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Description
- Roberts
- Approach of the Simoon, Desert of Gizeh [Giza]
- signed and dated David Roberts 1844 lower left
- watercolour over pencil, heightened with bodycolour and gum arabic
- 33.2 by 48 cm., 13 by 18 7/8 in.
Provenance
Probably Thomas Birchall, by 1857
Mrs Edward Berry
Her executor's sale: Christie's, London, 6 May 1872, lot 82
Agnew's, London (purchased at the above sale)
Henry Milnes Rait
Reginald Prance
Sale: Christie's, London, 9 May 1894, lot 80
Leggatt Galleries, London (purchased at the above sale)
Evelyn, Lady Durand
Sale: Sotheby's, London, 28 November 1974, lot 126
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner Lithographed:
by Louis Haghe for Egypt and Nubia (vol. III), in The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Egypt and Nubia, London 1849, pl. 114 (with the above title) & 1856 vol. VI, pl. 240 (as The Simoom [sic] in Desert)
Mrs Edward Berry
Her executor's sale: Christie's, London, 6 May 1872, lot 82
Agnew's, London (purchased at the above sale)
Henry Milnes Rait
Reginald Prance
Sale: Christie's, London, 9 May 1894, lot 80
Leggatt Galleries, London (purchased at the above sale)
Evelyn, Lady Durand
Sale: Sotheby's, London, 28 November 1974, lot 126
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner Lithographed:
by Louis Haghe for Egypt and Nubia (vol. III), in The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Egypt and Nubia, London 1849, pl. 114 (with the above title) & 1856 vol. VI, pl. 240 (as The Simoom [sic] in Desert)
Exhibited
Probably Manchester, Art Treasures Exhibition, 1857, no. 743 (lent by Thomas Birchall)
London, Agnew's, Exhibition of Water-Colour Drawings, 1874, no. 42
London, Agnew's, Exhibition of Water-Colour Drawings, 1874, no. 42
Condition
The sheet has darkened over time. There are a considerable number of areas of discolouration, largely in the sky, which appear lighter than the rest of the sheet. The work is laid down.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
After a critic viewed the present lot in the 1874 Agnew’s exhibition, he commented that 'The Simoon (42), though only a small drawing, expresses with extraordinary force and beauty the obscured sunlight dimly illuminating the wide stretch of sandy desert. Roberts's work is sometimes refined overmuch, and this example is all the more precious in expressing the strength as well as the delicacy of the painter's genius.' (The Art Journal, 1874, p. 108) In 1850 Roberts executed an oil painting of this subject for the author Charles Dickens (1812-1870) (Private Collection).
We are very grateful to Briony Llewellyn for her help when cataloguing this lot.
We are very grateful to Briony Llewellyn for her help when cataloguing this lot.