Artwork Page for Descent into the Plain of Granada

Details / Information for Descent into the Plain of Granada

Descent into the Plain of Granada

1834

David Roberts

(Scottish, 1796–1864)
Culture
England, 19th century
Medium
watercolor with gouache, scratch-away, and graphite
Support
Off-white wove paper
Measurements
Sheet: 23.2 x 32.5 cm (9 1/8 x 12 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of James Parmelee 1940.563
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
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Did You Know?

This drawing was reproduced as a wood engraving in Roscoe's first volume, The Tourist in Spain: Granada.

Description

Later celebrated for his topographical landscapes of the Middle East, David Roberts’s first extended trip abroad was in 1832 when he traveled through France to Spain over a period of 10 months. This watercolor records a scene from Roberts’s journey from Madrid to Andalusia. He described the trip in a letter to his sister: "I jogged on a considerable part of the way on foot, happy and contented. Granada is in the most beautiful situation that can be imagined. It lies at the foot of a ridge of high mountains, called the Sierra Nevada, or the Mountains of Snow." Replete with burdened mules, a lone figure on foot, and sun-drenched mountains with a view of Granada in the distance, this watercolor vividly illustrates the artist’s recollections.
A horizontally oriented watercolor drawing depicts a rugged landscape where a canyon path winds through jagged tan cliffs toward a distant valley. In the foreground, travelers and pack animals, led by a man in blue breeches, traverse a rocky path near a wooden cross. The massive cliffs guide the eye toward a pale green plain. Distant blue mountains sit under a cloudy sky, contrasting warm ochre tones with a cool, hazy background.

Descent into the Plain of Granada

1834

David Roberts

(Scottish, 1796–1864)
England, 19th century

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