Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 291 works by David Roberts in our catalogue
In short
Interior of Cologne Cathedral, with a Funeral (1838) is the David Roberts painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton. After it, the eye goes to The Chancel of the Church of the Nativity (or St. Helena), Bethlehem (1842) and Philae, Temple of Isis, the Court and the Second Pylon. Among the 291 works of David Roberts in our catalog, these 100 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
The painting Interior of Cologne Cathedral, with a Funeral was executed by David Roberts in 1838. It captures a solemn procession moving through the vast, stone-hewn space of the cathedral. Figures dressed in black navigate the shadows of the nave, their postures marked by the weight of the ritual. The architecture rises in heavy arches above the mourners, framing a moment of quiet ceremony within the massive structure.
David Roberts' "The Chancel of the Church of the Nativity (or St. Helena)," painted in 1842, isn’t merely a depiction of a building; it’s an immersion into a profound atmosphere of reverence and historical significance. This watercolor, rendered with meticulous detail and imbued with a subtle luminosity, transports the viewer to the heart of Bethlehem – the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Roberts, a Scottish painter celebrated for his evocative depictions…
In this landscape composition, we encounter Philae, Temple of Isis, the Court and the Second Pylon, a work by the Scottish painter David Roberts. The scene focuses on the architectural remains of the Temple of Isis at Philae. Roberts produced these paintings during his time in Egypt, specifically around 1838, capturing the structures as they appeared in the early nineteenth century.
Interview with the Viceroy of Egype at His Palace in Alexandria by David Roberts captures a specific moment of diplomatic or social encounter. The scene documents an interview with the Viceroy of Egypt held at his palace in Alexandria. This meeting occurred on May 12th, 1839.
The Grand Portico Of The Temple At Esneh, Egypt is a work by David Roberts. This architectural study focuses on the massive stone structures of an ancient Egyptian temple. The artist captures the immense scale and the heavy grandeur of the site through a precise observation of its form. It is a record of stone and shadow.
The artwork is titled Caiaphas Looking Towards Mount Carmel. It was executed by the Scottish painter David Roberts. Born in 1796, Roberts developed a technical foundation through an apprenticeship in house painting and decoration before transitioning into scene painting and landscape studies.
Colossi, Thebes, Egypt1838 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
12
Untitled (AQTNEE)1837
13
Untitled (AQTNES)1839
14
Untitled (AQTNEJ)1839
15
Untitled (AQTNFL)1839
16
The Golden Tower1833
17
Untitled (AQTNF2)1837
18
Untitled (AQTNF8)1838 · Museo del Prado
19
Untitled (AQTNFJ)1837 · Condé Museum
20
London from Fleet Street, the Lord Mayor's Show1837
21
Entrance to the North Transept, Cathedral of Burgos1835
22
Untitled (AQTNFA)1842
23
Untitled (AQTNEG)1842
24
Entrance to the Crypt, Roslin Chapel1843
25
The Hypostyle Hall of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel, Egypt1849 · Yale Center for British Art
26
Untitled (AQTNFC)1851
27
Untitled (AQTNEQ)1849
28
Portico of the Temple of Isis at Philae1851
29
ادینبورگ از تپه کالتون1858
30
Edinburgh from the Calton Hill1863 · Guildhall Art Gallery
31
Untitled (AQTNEA)1859
32
The Forum, Rome, Italy1859 · Guildhall Art Gallery
33
Interior of St Stephen's Church, Vienna1859
34
Rouen Cathedral1826 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
35
Hindoo Architecture A Composition1829 · Scottish National Gallery
36
Ruins of the Temple of Bacchus1840 · Walker Art Gallery
37
The Great Staircase, Stafford House1832 · Government Art Collection
38
Untitled (AQTNF4)2009 · Los Angeles County Museum of Art
39
View Of The Puente Nuevo, Ronda, Spain
40
The Ruins Of St Andrews Cathedral
41
Español Interior de la mezquita de Córdoba English The Interior of the Mosque, Cordoba1838 · Museo del Prado
42
Donaldson's College, EdinburghEdinburgh City Chambers
43
Mount Tabor From The Plain Of Esdraelon
44
Interior of a Cathedral1822 · Towneley Hall Art Gallery And Museum
45
The Façade of the Cathédrale de Reims with a Medieval Procession and a Cortege in the Foreground1831 · Musee des Beaux-Arts
46
Le MarchÉ au BlÉ at Abbeville, from the Grande Place1827
47
St Catherine's Convent, Mount Sinai, Holy Land1839 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
48
Interior Of Seville Cathedral, Spain1833 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
49
Alcazar, Segovia, Spain1836 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
50
The Fortress of the Alhambra, Granada1836 · Harvard Art Museums
51
Jerusalem from the Road Leading to Bethany1839
52
Edinburgh Castle from the Grassmarket1837 · Laing Art Gallery
53
Interior of a Church1836 · Rotherham Art Gallery
54
Moorish Church Interior1832
55
The Lady Chapel, Church of St Pierre, Caen1832
56
Chancel of the Collegiate Church of St Paul, at Antwerp1848
57
St Patrick's Church, Cowgate, Edinburgh1840 · Scottish National Gallery
58
Baalbec1842 · Scottish National Gallery
59
The Bazaar of the Coppersmiths, Cairo1840
60
Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives with Pilgrims Entering from the River Jordan1842 · Norfolk Museums
61
The Gate of Metwaley, Cairo1843
62
Deutsch Der Eingang zum goldenen Tempel in Baalbeck1841 · Royal Academy of Arts
63
Greenwich Hospital from the Thames1850 · National Maritime Museum
64
The Doge's Palace, Venice, from the Bacino di San Marco1853 · Fitzwilliam Museum
65
Lierre Interior of Saint Gommaire1850 · Wallace Collection
66
Interior of York Minster1827 · York Museums Trust
67
Interior of St Peter's, Rome1854 · Government Art Collection
68
Inside of The Mosque of CordobaMuseum of Fine Arts of Córdoba
69
The Temple of Neptune at Paestum1856 · National Gallery of Ireland
70
Rome: Sunset from the Convent of Sant' Onofrio on the Janiculum1856 · Scottish National Gallery
71
A Study for 'Rome: Sunset from the Convent of Sant' Onofrio on the Janiculum'1856 · Scottish National Gallery
72
Capriccio Landscape (called View of Rosslyn Castle)1856 · Scottish National Gallery
73
View on the Tiber, Rome1862 · Scottish National Gallery
74
Chancel of the Collegiate Church of St Paul, at Antwerp1861 · Scottish National Gallery
75
Interior of the Basilica of St Peters at ...1863 · Art Gallery of New South Wales
76
The Remains of the Roman Forum1861 · Birmingham Museum of Art
77
Egyptian Landscape with a Distant View of the Pyramids1862 · Denver Art Museum
78
The Houses of Parliament from Millbank, London1861
79
Rome, View on the Tiber Looking Towards Mounts Palatine and Aventine1863
80
Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives1860 · New Walk Museum - Art Gallery
81
View of Lucerne, Switzerland1861
82
Interior of the Duomo, Milan1857 · Government Art Collection
83
Fruit Sellers from the Islands, Venice1903
84
The Giudecca, Venice1854 · Yale Center for British Art
85
Granada the Chapel of Ferdinand and Isabella1838 · Wallace Collection
86
Part Of The Portico Of Edfou
87
Bethany
88
Port Of Tyre
89
Triumphal Arch Crossing The Ravine Leading To Petra
90
A Spaniard
91
Entrance To Petra, The Theatre
92
Edfou
93
Jericho
94
The Slave Market, Cairo
95
Jerusalem
96
Ashdod
97
The Tombs Of The Caliphs, Cairo
98
Ponte Nomentano, Rome
99
View Of Gibraltar From The Neutral Ground
100
The Great Sphinx. Pyramids Of Gizeh
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by David Roberts | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Scottish National Gallery |
Edinburgh | 10 | Hindoo Architecture A Composition, St Patrick's Church, Cowgate, Edinburgh, Baalbec |
 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
Birmingham | 5 | Colossi, Thebes, Egypt, St Catherine's Convent, Mount Sinai, Holy Land, Interior Of Seville Cathedral, Spain |
 Government Art Collection |
London | 3 | The Great Staircase, Stafford House, Interior of St Peter's, Rome, Interior of the Duomo, Milan |
 Museo del Prado |
Madrid | 4 | Untitled (AQTNF8), Español Interior de la mezquita de Córdoba English The Interior of the Mosque, Cordoba |
 Yale Center for British Art |
New Haven | 3 | The Hypostyle Hall of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel, Egypt, The Giudecca, Venice |
 York Museums Trust |
York | 2 | Entrance to St Germain, Amiens, Interior of York Minster |
 Guildhall Art Gallery |
London | 2 | Edinburgh from the Calton Hill, The Forum, Rome, Italy |
 Wallace Collection |
London | 2 | Lierre Interior of Saint Gommaire, Granada the Chapel of Ferdinand and Isabella |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
The painting Interior of Cologne Cathedral, with a Funeral was executed by David Roberts in 1838. It captures a solemn procession moving through the vast, stone-hewn space of the cathedral. Figures dressed in black navigate the shadows of the nave, their postures marked by the weight of the ritual. The architecture rises in heavy arches above the mourners, framing a moment of quiet ceremony within the massive structure.
David Roberts' "The Chancel of the Church of the Nativity (or St. Helena)," painted in 1842, isn’t merely a depiction of a building; it’s an immersion into a profound atmosphere of reverence and historical significance. This watercolor, rendered with meticulous detail and imbued with a subtle luminosity, transports the viewer to the heart of Bethlehem – the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Roberts, a Scottish painter celebrated for his evocative depictions…
Interior of Cologne Cathedral, with a Funeral (1838), Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton. The Chancel of the Church of the Nativity (or St. Helena), Bethlehem (1842) and Philae, Temple of Isis, the Court and the Second Pylon come next.
42 years old: Interior of Cologne Cathedral, with a Funeral dates from 1838, and David Roberts was born in 1796.
Interior of Cologne Cathedral, with a Funeral, The Chancel of the Church of the Nativity (or St. Helena), Bethlehem, Philae, Temple of Isis, the Court and the Second Pylon, Interview with the Viceroy of Egype at His Palace in Alexandria, The Grand Portico Of The Temple At Esneh, Egypt, Caiaphas Looking Towards Mount Carmel, Citadel Of Sidon, Untitled (AQTNEW), Edinburgh Town and Castle and Entrance to St Germain, Amiens. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 291 works by David Roberts, dated from 1822 to 1863.
Mostly in Scottish National Gallery (Edinburgh), Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Birmingham) and Government Art Collection (London). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1830s: 27 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Interior of Cologne Cathedral, with a Funeral among them.
On this page, the earliest is Interior of a Cathedral (1822) and the latest Edinburgh from the Calton Hill (1863).
Religious art (7), Architecture (7) and Victorian era (5), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 5 of the 100 works on this page.
Romanticism and Orientalism, judging by the originals on this page.
Hindoo Architecture A Composition, St Patrick's Church, Cowgate, Edinburgh and Baalbec: the Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh holds 8 of the works on this page.
David Roberts (1796-1864) was a Scottish painter celebrated for his detailed Orientalist scenes and meticulous lithographs. His work provides invaluable visual documentation of the Middle East during the 19th century, bridging artistic representation with historical record.
Born on October 24, 1796, in Stockbridge near Edinburgh, Roberts’s early life was marked by practical training. At the age of ten, he began an apprenticeship with house painter and decorator Gavin Beugo. This foundational experience instilled a strong technical skill set, which he supplemented through evening art studies.
His initial professional work included redecorating Scone Palace in 1815. He then transitioned to scene painting for James Bannister’s circus, honing his skills in creating immersive environments. These early experiences laid the groundwork for his later success as a prominent Orientalist painter.
Roberts' artistic development was shaped by a growing fascination with different cultures and landscapes. While initially focused on theatrical scenery, he gradually shifted towards more independent artistic pursuits. His travels to Spain in 1832 were formative, sparking an interest in architectural detail and exotic locales.
However, it was his extensive tours of Egypt and the Near East (1838-1840) that truly defined his career. These journeys provided him with a wealth of sketches and observations which he later translated into his most famous works. His style wasn’t heavily influenced by any single artist, but rather developed from careful observation and technical mastery.
Roberts is best known for The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia – a series of meticulously detailed lithograph prints. These images captured the grandeur of ancient sites and the vibrancy of contemporary life in the region.
In 1841, Roberts was elected as a Royal Academician – a significant recognition of his contributions to the art world.
Roberts’s artistic style is characterized by:
David Roberts’s work played a crucial role in popularizing the Middle East among European audiences. His images provided a visual window into a region that was largely unknown to many, influencing travel, scholarship, and artistic representation.
His lithographs served as important historical documents, preserving images of sites that have since changed or been lost. He left an indelible mark on the art world, inspiring subsequent generations of artists and continuing to captivate viewers today.
