David Roberts, R.A.
Bethany
Auction Closed
April 29, 03:51 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
David Roberts, R.A.
(Edinburgh 1796 - 1864 London)
Bethany
Watercolour over pencil, heightened with touches of bodycolour;
signed lower centre right: David Roberts R.A.; inscribed and dated lower right: Bethany april 1st 1839
239 by 339 mm.
Lord Francis Egerton, later 1st Earl of Ellesmere (1800-1857), purchased from the artist,
The Ellesmere Sale, London, Christie's, 2 April 1870, lot 85, bt Vokins;
with J. & W. Vokins, London;
sale, London, Christie's South Kensington, 29 October 1984, lot 38, bt Agnew's on behalf of the parents of the present owners.
Lithographed:
by Louis Haghe for The Holy Land, London 1843, vol. II, pl. 86 & London 1855, vol. II, pl. 86
Oxford, The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, on long-term loan, 2015 - 2021
After three days in Jerusalem, Roberts and his party travelled out of the city to visit Jericho and the valley of Josaphat. They passed through the little village of Bethany which is famous for having been the site of one of Christ's most well-known miracles, the Raising of Lazarus (St John 1: 1-44). Bethany is now called Al-Azariyeh from the Arabic for Lazarus. The site of the sepulcher of Lazarus is the small building with the circular dome seen to the left of the composition.
This watercolour was lithographed for the Holy Land series by Louis Haghe.
