Adam's THE LIBRARY COLLECTION 26th April 2022

47 www.adams.ie The Library Collection | 26 th April 2022 58 ROBERTS, DAVID The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt and Nubia. London: Day & Son 1855. Four volumes bound in 2, Quarto edition (292 x 200mm), 168 numbered plates, lithograph portrait; 4 title with vignettes, half brown leather decorated in gilt with armorial ensigns of Jerusalem (as illustrated in Vol I pg. 36), spines in six compartments with gilt, gilt edge pages David Roberts (1796-1864) was a Scottish artist who is most well-known for his series of lithographs inspired by his travels in the Near East. Having grown up in Edinburgh, Roberts spent time working both there and in London whilst simultaneously honing his art skills, before leaving in 1838 to travel around parts of Nubia, Egypt, Syria, Sinai, and the Holy Land. Once in Alexandria, Roberts spent eleven months travelling up the River Nile through Egypt before arriving in Jerusalem in the spring of 1839. Throughout his travels, Roberts was careful to document his impressions of landscapes, ruins, and different cultures in his sketchbooks, bringing home enough material to provide the basis for the extensive collection of lithographs which were compiled with text to create the three volumes of the “Holy Land.” Upon his return, Roberts worked closely with Louis Haghe, a renowned lithographer of the time, who is considered a pioneer of chromolithography. The first four volumes are bound together in these two books; in the first book, volume one focuses on Jerusalem and Galilee, with volume two on Jordan and Bethlehem. In the second book, volume three showcases Roberts’ travels in Idumea and Petra, with volume four based on Egypt and Nubia. They are bound in brown leather with the armorial ensign of Jerusalem gilded on the cover of each. Between the two, there are 168 beautifully tinted lithographs depicting a variety of subject matter. Roberts master- fully renders overwhelming and dramatic landscapes without detracting from the atmosphere of the depicted monuments such as the temples or statues in his illustrations. The collection is a celebration of antiquity and ancient cultures. € 2,000 - 3,000