Artwork
Tomb of Aaron, Summit of Mount Horeb
Tomb of Aaron, Summit of Mount Horeb is a print by the Romanticist artist David Roberts. It dates from 1839 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1927.93
About this work
Overview
David Roberts, a Scottish painter active in the early nineteenth century, produced the print Tomb of Aaron, Summit of Mount Horec in 1839. The work depicts a biblical landmark set within a stark, mountainous terrain, populated by figures in contemporary robes. Executed as part of Roberts’s extensive series of Orientalist images, the print now belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the traditional site identified as the burial place of Aaron, brother of Moses, situated on Mount Horeb. A small stone tomb rests against a sheer cliff, while a gathering of travelers, some standing, others kneeling or leaning on staffs, suggests pilgrimage or contemplation. The scene conveys a quiet reverence for a sacred location amid an inhospitable landscape.
Technique & Style
The palette is restrained, dominated by earthy browns and grays, punctuated by occasional red and blue garments that draw the eye.
Roberts employed a finely rendered, topographical approach typical of his Orientalist oeuvre, using delicate line work and tonal washes to model the rugged rock faces. The palette is restrained, dominated by earthy browns and grays, punctuated by occasional red and blue garments that draw the eye. The dramatic treatment of the cliffs creates a theatrical stage, reflecting Romantic sensibilities toward nature’s power.
History & Provenance
Created after Roberts’s extensive travels through the Near East, the print was issued as part of a series of lithographs that documented his observations of biblical and historic sites. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it remains a representative example of the artist’s documentary yet romantic vision of the region.
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Artist & collection
Artist
David Roberts (24 October 1796 – 25 November 1864) was a Scottish painter. He is especially known for The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia, a prolific series of detailed lithograph prints of Egypt and…
Fountain of the Virgin, Nazareth
Jerusalem from the North
Bethany
Fountain at Cana
Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Entrance to the Tombs of the Kings of Thebes, Bab-El-Malouk
Mount Tabor from the Plain of Esdraelon
Encampment of Pilgrims, Jericho
Approach to Petra, an Ancient Watch Tower Commanding the Valley of El Chor