Roberts, David (RA)
Birth date
1796
Death date
1864
Biography
David Roberts was a Scottish painter and traveller, born just outside of Edinburgh. As a young boy, he showed skill in drawing and worked as a house painter; his parents could not afford art school fees. This enabled him to develop his understanding of architecture as well as painting. He then worked as a scene painter for theatres, in Edinburgh and London, as well as travelling circuses.
In the 1820s, Roberts began travelling and painting architectural scenes and in 1824 he joined the Society of British Artists. By 1830 he left theatrical painting to focus on his topographical work. Roberts visited Spain, Italy, France, Gibraltar and then went on to Egypt. He journeyed up the Nile, painting and writing as he travelled. He published a book in 1840, ‘Views of the Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia’. Roberts was elected to the Royal Academy in 1841 but continued to travel.
Roberts was extremely skilled in depicting great architectural scenes and painted people from the various cultures he encountered. There became a renewed interest in Roberts' work in the latter half of the twentieth century, most likely due to the influential publication of Edward Said's Orientalism which explored the West's depiction of Asia, North Africa the Middle East through a postcolonial lens.
Image credit: Charles Baugniet, A portrait of David Roberts in 1842 / Wikimedia Commons
In the 1820s, Roberts began travelling and painting architectural scenes and in 1824 he joined the Society of British Artists. By 1830 he left theatrical painting to focus on his topographical work. Roberts visited Spain, Italy, France, Gibraltar and then went on to Egypt. He journeyed up the Nile, painting and writing as he travelled. He published a book in 1840, ‘Views of the Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia’. Roberts was elected to the Royal Academy in 1841 but continued to travel.
Roberts was extremely skilled in depicting great architectural scenes and painted people from the various cultures he encountered. There became a renewed interest in Roberts' work in the latter half of the twentieth century, most likely due to the influential publication of Edward Said's Orientalism which explored the West's depiction of Asia, North Africa the Middle East through a postcolonial lens.
Image credit: Charles Baugniet, A portrait of David Roberts in 1842 / Wikimedia Commons
Note
RA refers to his election to the Royal Academy in 1841.