[Holy Land]. - Lot 181

[Holy Land]. ROBERTS, David. The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia. From drawings made on the spot by David Roberts R. A., with historical descriptions by the Rev.d George Croly. L.L.D., lithograph by Louis Haghe. London, F. G. Moon,1842-1843-1849. 3 large folio volumes (of 6). Publisher's brown half-maroquin with corners, spine ribbed with title and tomaison in gilt lettering, gilt arms of Jerusalem in center of upper board, gilt edges (some flaws to binding, freckling). Superb work. "Apotheosis of the tinted lithograph" (Abbey). The Holy Land part alone, in three volumes. Illustrated with 124 sepia-toned lithographs (including frontispieces), 61 of which hors-texte, and 1 map engraved by Louis Haghe after David Roberts. Volume I: portrait of the author by C. Baugniet, lithographed title-frontispiece, (4) ff. 30 pp. 21 vignettes with explanatory text on both sides and 21 plates (44 illustrations). Volume II: lithographed title-frontispiece, (1) p., 21 vignettes (with explanatory text), 21 plates (43 illustrations). Volume III: lithographed title-frontispiece, (2) pp. 18 vignettes (with explanatory text), 18 plates and 1 map (38 illustrations). David Roberts (1796-1864), Scottish architectural painter and watercolorist, began his career as a set painter (Edinburgh Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and Covent Garden theaters in London). After exhibiting in several galleries, he joined the Royal Academy in 1839, becoming an Academician two years later. His taste for travel took him all over Europe, to Syria and Egypt... He reproduced a large number of his sketches in lithography, and his elegantly colored antique views of Egypt are still very famous today. Abbey, Travel 272, 385. Blackmer, 1432. Brunet IV, 1331. Bénézit IX, 10.