David Roberts, 1842-49

Hand-Colored Issue of Roberts' Holy Land
David Roberts, 1842-49
ROBERTS, David (1796-1864) and George CROLY (1780-1860). The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia. London: F.G. Moon, 1842-49.

First edition of the finest and rarest hand-colored issue of Roberts' monumental work, part of Roberts' Holy Land but published separately. "One of the most important and elaborate ventures of nineteenth-century publishing ... the apotheosis of the tinted lithograph" (Abbey p. 341). It is masterfully illustrated by Louis Haghe’s lithography, of which Roberts wrote, "Haghe has not only surpassed himself, but all that has hitherto been done of a similar nature. He has rendered the views in a style clear, simple and unlaboured, with a masterly vigour and boldness which none but a painter like him could have transferred to stone."

The Holy Land was originally published in 3 states: tinted, with tinted proofs, and colored and mounted on card (as here). It was issued in 20 parts between January 1842 and the end of 1845 "containing all the plates listed [in Abbey] but not the map, and not in the same order. There were two title-pages only" (Abbey). The present copy includes all three hand-colored lithographic titles, with title for vol. III bearing same vignette as vol. II, "Baalbec from the Fountain, May 7th 1839," and not "Excavated Temple at Petra…" as described in Abbey. Abbey Travel 385; Tooley 401.

Three volumes, folio (605 x 446mm). Mounted lithographic frontispiece portrait of Roberts on india paper by and after C. Baugniet, three hand-colored lithographic titles, one uncolored map at end of vol. III, and 120 plates finely colored and finished by hand and mounted on card, all by L. Haghe after Roberts (occasional toning and spotting and offsetting to blank versos and tissue guards; a few marginal paper repairs, especially frontispiece and preliminary pages of vol. I). 19th-century black half morocco over dark brown diamond-grained cloth, the upper cover blocked in gilt with the armorial ensigns of Jerusalem, spines and all edges gilt (a little rubbed).