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The Lady Chapel of the Church of St Jacques, Dieppe

David RA Roberts

1832

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism Early 19th Century Architectural

Dominant colour

The Lady Chapel of the Church of St Jacques, Dieppe is a 1832 watercolor by David RA Roberts, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: David RA Roberts
When & what style?: 1832 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows an old stone church with tall, pointed towers and arched windows. The building looks worn, with some parts crumbling. In front of it, a group of people in old-fashioned clothes sit or stand, some with animals or baskets. The sky is pale, and the whole scene feels quiet and a bit misty. The artist focused on how light hits the rough stone, making some parts look darker and others lighter. This helps show the texture of the church’s surface. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and shadow like this.

The story of this work

Overview

A watercolour by David Roberts RA, dated 1832, depicts the Lady Chapel of the Church of St Jacques in Dieppe and is signed by the artist. The work was later reproduced in *The Architectural Review* (1925) and an engraving by T Higham, based on a closely related drawing by Roberts, appeared in *The Gallery of Modern British Artists* (1834–36).

Read the full account in the museum source.