5389 Roberts, The Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo.jpeg
5389A Roberts, The Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo.jpeg
5389B Roberts, The Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo.jpeg
5389C Roberts, The Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo.jpeg
5389 Roberts, The Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo.jpeg
5389A Roberts, The Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo.jpeg
5389B Roberts, The Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo.jpeg
5389C Roberts, The Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo.jpeg

Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo, Egypt: A 19th C. Lithograph by David Roberts

$3,175.00

This is an original 19th century duotone lithograph entitled "The Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo" by David Roberts, from his Egypt and Nubia volumes of the large folio edition, published in London by F. G. Moon in 1849. The lithographs were prepared by Louis Haghe (1806-1885) from drawings and paintings by Roberts. The resultant large folio editions of 'The Holy Land' and 'Egypt & Nubia' are considered the greatest lithographically illustrated works issued in the 19th century.

Creator: David Roberts (1796-1864, British)

Creation Year: 1849

Dimensions: Height: 16.75 in (42.55 cm)
Width: 23.75 in (60.33 cm)

Medium: Lithograph

Condition: See description below.

Reference #: 5389

This is an original 19th century duotone lithograph entitled "The Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo" by David Roberts, from his Egypt and Nubia volumes of the large folio edition, published in London by F. G. Moon in 1849. The lithographs were prepared by Louis Haghe (1806-1885) from drawings and paintings by Roberts. The resultant large folio editions of 'The Holy Land' and 'Egypt & Nubia' are considered the greatest lithographically illustrated works issued in the 19th century.

Creator: David Roberts (1796-1864, British)

Creation Year: 1849

Dimensions: Height: 16.75 in (42.55 cm)
Width: 23.75 in (60.33 cm)

Medium: Lithograph

Condition: See description below.

Reference #: 5389

The print depicts a view of the the main entrance to Cairo. Cairo's main square in the foreground contains the sacred Mosque of the Sultan Hassan. Throngs of people are seen approaching the great gate to the citadel on the right. Huge round towers guard the citadel's flanks. The citadel was built by Saladin during the crusades to protect the city. Egyptian sultans and politicians have occupied it through the centuries. Multiple minarets are shown, the largest in the center of the scene, in front of the mosque. Tradesmen, musicians, story-tellers inhabitants and visitors to the city are depicted in the square conducting business, conversing in groups, and walking through the square to reach the entrance to the city. The print is signed in the plate in the lower right and titled in the lower left, reportedly in Roberts' hand as in his original drawing.

This duotone lithograph is printed on wove paper with wide margins. The sheet measures 16.75" high and 23.75" wide. There is faint toning adjacent to the left, right and lower edges of the sheet, as well as a barely perceptible horizontal crease in the upper margin. There are three small very faint spots at the periphery of the lower portion of the left margin. These issues would be obscured by a mat when framed. The image portion of the print is in excellent condition.

The drawings and watercolours from Roberts' tour of the Holy Land and Egypt were collated together into folios and released over a seven year period by the publisher F.G. Moon from 20 Threadneedle Street London. This lithograph is from the Royal Subscription Edition (1842-1849) with only 500 copies produced per depiction. Louis Haghe (the Belgian engraver and friend of Roberts) worked on all of the lithographs for this series.

David Roberts (1796-1864) was born outside of Edinburgh, Scotland. At age 10 he became a house painter’s apprentice. He continued painting houses and eventually theater scenes in Edinburgh and then in London. His friend, J. M. W. Turner, recognized his artistic talent and encouraged him to become a full-time artist.

In 1839 Roberts traveled to Egypt and then in 1840, through the Holy Land, concluding in Jerusalem. Upon his return to England, F. G. Moon agreed to publish lithographs created by Louis Haghe from Robert’s sketches and watercolors. This publication was highly acclaimed and very popular for its esthetic quality, its historical and topographical accuracy, and Robert’s dramatic depiction of his scenes. Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens were among the subscribers who collected his works. Roberts' and Haghe’s duotone lithographs, often colored, remain extremely sought-after today and have been rising steadily in value.