Plate 41 Entrance to Nablous - After David Roberts RA
Roberts noted in his journal that he entered the town of Nablus around three in the afternoon on the 16th April. The drawing depicted by the artist shows a caravan leaving the town on the 17th which would also have been the day his party left. 'Nablus, the ancient Shechem mentioned in the Old Testament, lies between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, some thirty miles to the north of Jerusalem, at the mouth of a depression that runs all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. The city, which is today considered to be the chief trading center in all of Samaria and a major agricultural marketplace, was given its name by Titus, who rebuilt it in A.D. 70 and called it Flavia Neapolis, in honor of his father, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, or Vespasian.' [1]
Roberts was particularly impressed with the town and believed it to be among the most prosperous he had seen in Palestine. In his journal he wrote 'the situation of the town is beautiful. It is placed between the mountains Ebal and Gerizim, and is well sheltered from the north and south winds.' [2]
The drawings and watercolours from this tour of the Holy Land and Egypt by David Roberts were collated together into lithographic folios and released over a seven year period (1842-1849) by the publisher F.G. Moon from 20 Threadneedle Street London. This lithograph is from the Royal Subscription Edition (1842-1849) which includes original hand-colouring from Louis Haghe's studio. There were only around 500 copies produced per lithograph in this edition.
Medium: Original Royal Subscription Edition, hand-coloured lithograph on thin India paper.
Half Plate 41.
Inscribed l.l. 'Entrance to Nablous april 17th 1839' and l.r. 'David Roberts R.A.', 20.8 x 31.3cm, mounted.
Bibliography:
[1] Fabio Bourbon (ed). Yesterday and Today: The Holy Land. Swan Hill Press: London, 1997, p.196. Translated by Antony Shugaar.
[2] David Roberts' Journal, 16th April 1839.
Condition report: a few small markings on the lithograph as shown in the photographs.