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Chapel of St. Helena, Crypt of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

David RA Roberts

1841

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

British Romanticism Romanticism Early 19th Century Interior

Dominant colour

Chapel of St. Helena, Crypt of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem is a 1841 watercolor by David RA Roberts, a British Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: David RA Roberts
When & what style?: 1841 · British Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This sketch shows a dimly lit church interior with rounded arches and columns. People in colorful robes—some sitting, some kneeling—fill the space, while small framed images hang on the walls. The floor looks uneven, and a few figures stand near a raised altar at the back. The artist used quick, loose strokes to capture light and shadow, focusing on the mood of the place. The faded colors and sketchy lines make it feel like a snapshot of a moment, not a polished scene. Next, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.

The story of this work

Overview

The painting depicts the Chapel of St. Helena within the Crypt of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, created by David Roberts in 1841. It is connected to plate 19 in his 1842–49 series *Holy Land*, published in 1855 as plate 20 in Volume I. The work was purchased by Phillips in November 1973 for £38, alongside another piece, SD.887.

Read the full account in the museum source.