11.'; 



ROBERTS, DAVID. 



ROBERVAL. 



116 



him appeared in the exhibitions, and he began to be regarded as one 

 of our most promising painters of architectural subjects. After hia 

 visit to Spain, 1832-33, he does not seem to have returned to scene- 

 painting. His Spanish pictures were much admired, and a folio 

 volume of lithographic copies of his 'Spanish Sketches' did much to 

 extend his reputation. From 1835 to 1838 inclusive he furnished the 

 illustrations to the ' Landscape Annual,' embracing views selected from 

 many of the most picturesque parts of Spain and Morocco ; he also 

 made the drawings for the original edition of Sir Bulwer Lytton's 

 ' Pilgrims of the Rhine.' Like many other young painters Mr. Roberts 

 joined the Society of British Artists, of which he came to be a vice- 

 president ; but he resigned his connection with that society when, 

 from the celebrity acquired by his Spanish pictures and sketches, it 

 became evident that his admission into the Royal Academy would, on 

 application, be a matter of certainty. He was accordingly elected 

 A.R.A. hi 1839, and admitted to the full honours of an academician 

 in 1841. 



The success of his Spanish views led Mr. Roberts to make a pro- 

 tracted visit to Syria and Egypt, where, with marvellous patience 

 and unflagging industry, he made a body of drawings and sketches 

 which, for extent, variety, and finish, have never perhaps been 

 equalled by a single artist while travelling in such a country and 

 exposed to such a climate. And they are admitted by all competent 

 judges who have followed the artist over the country he has depicted, 

 to be as accurate as they are graceful and brilliant. Lithographic 

 fac-similes of these sketches form the well-known and very splendid 

 work entitled ' The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and 

 Nubia,' four volumes, large folio, 1842, &<x The drawings of this 

 great work were placed on the stone by Mr. Haghe [HAGHE, Louis], 

 in a style that left nothing to be desired, and the work on its com- 

 pletion took its stand by general admission at the head of all such 

 publications hitherto issued in this or any other country. Throughout 

 the Continent it bears as high a fame as in England. 



For some years after his election into the Royal Academy, Mr. 

 Roberta's pictures in the exhibitions of that body chiefly consisted of 

 subjects collected in his Eastern tour. Among the more noticeable 

 ones a few may be mentioned : ' The Outer Court of the Temple at 

 Edfou in Upper Egypt ; ' ' Statues of the Vocal Memnon on the 

 Plain ^of Thebes,' and 'The Greek Church of the Holy Nativity at 

 Bethlehem, taken during the Resort of Pilgrims at Easter,' 1840; 

 'The Temple of Denderah,' and 'Jerusalem from the Mount of 

 Olives,' 1841; 'Thebes, looking across the Great Hall,' 'Petra/ 

 and ' Interior of the Church of St. Miguel, Xercy, Spain,' 1842 ; 

 ' Gateway of the Great Temple at Baalbec,' ' Ruins on the Island of 

 Philoe,' and 'Entrance to the Crypt Roslin Chapel/ 1843 ; 'Pyra- 

 mids of Ghizeh/ ' Chapel of Jean at Caen, Normandy,' 1844. In 1845 

 he exhibited only two pictures, but they were large in size and 

 ambitious in character 'Ruins of the Great Temple of Karnak, 

 looking towards the Lybian Hills sunset;' and 'Jerusalem from 

 the South-East the Mount of Olives; ' both works of much grandeur 

 of style. Not to follow his course too minutely and to enumerate 

 even the leading pictures of so prolific an artist would require more 

 space than can be spared here it may suffice to add that 1848 was 

 distinguished by his ' Chancel of the Collegiate Church of St. Paul, 

 Antwerp/ painted for Mr. Vernon, and now with the rest of that 

 gentleman's collection the property of the nation, and that since that 

 time ecclesiastical interiors, with the picturesque features of the 

 Roman Catholic worship as seen in the churches and cathedrals of the 

 Continent, have formed a considerable proportion of the productions 

 of his pencil. In 1849 was exhibited his large painting of 'The 

 Destruction of Jerusalem/ which has since been copied in one of the 

 largest coloured lithographs yet published. In 1850-51 interiors of 

 Belgian churches were his most characteristic contributions; from 

 1852 to 1854 Vienna, Verona, and Venice were chiefly laid under 

 contribution; but in 1853 also appeared 'The Inauguration of the 

 Exhibition of All Nations painted by command of her Majesty.' 

 The only picture in 1855 was ' Rome/ but it was one of his largest 

 works in point of size, and noblest in conception and execution. The 

 Imperial city was seen under the influence of the setting sun, and 

 the whole was depicted in a glow of deep sombre colour, and with a 

 simplicity and severity of style which admirably accorded with the 

 character of the scene. His pictures exhibited in 1856 were more 

 diversified and more popular in character: 'Christmas Day in St. 

 Peter's at Home, 1854;' 'St. Peter's looking back upon Rome;' 

 Venice Approach to the Grand Canal;' 'Italy;' and 'Monument 

 to Bartolomeo Colleoni, SS. Giovanni e Paolo, Venice.' 



Enough has been said to show with how much industry Mr. 

 Roberts has gathered the materials for his pictures, and how much 

 interest they derive from their subjects as well as from the skill with 

 which they are treated. But their interest is heightened by the 

 characteristic circumstances with which the artist associates places 

 which most painters would regard as sufficient in themselves to 

 attract and satisfy the spectator. In the Egyptian views are depicted 

 the halt of a caravan, moslems in their hour of prayer, or some 

 equally striking incident ; in the church of the Holy City is shown 

 the assembly of the pilgrims at their great annual gathering ; in St. 

 Peter's we see the pope in all the pomp of the most imposing cere- 

 monial of the Romish Church; and all this is done BO as to heighten 



the general effect of the scene, while the main subject of the picture 

 still retains its unimpaired superiority. As a painter of architectural 

 interiors Mr. Roberts is confessedly without an equal among English 

 painters, and admirable as are some of his Continental rivals in this 

 line of art, we know of none who attain to equal splendour of effect 

 along with equal fidelity. In his architectural exteriors and more 

 extensive scenes he is equally striking, but in them we may still 

 trace the influence of his old theatrical training, in the too palpably 

 artificial and conventional arrangements of groups or single figures, 

 fallen columns, and other foreground objects which admit of strongly 

 contrasted points of light and shadow, and of colour. But these are 

 trifling failings only visible perhaps to a somewhat captious critic ; 

 and the most captious may be well content to leave them unquestioned 

 in his admiration of the artist's great technical skill, poetic feeling, 

 fidelity of representation, and refined taste. 



ROBERTSON, WILLIAM, was the son of a clergyman who for 

 some time had the congregation hi the old chapel of London Wall, 

 'and afterwards was one of the ministers of Edinburgh, where Dr. 

 Robertson was born in 1721. His motherwas daughter of Pitcairn 

 of Dreghan. In 1743 he was presented to the living of Gladsmuir in 

 East Lothian. He distinguished himself as a preacher, and also as 

 one of the most powerful speakers and most eminent leaders in the 

 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. In addition to his pro- 

 fessional pursuits, he applied himself to historical studies, and in 1759 

 published his ' History of Scotland during the Reigns of Mary and of 

 King James VI. till his Accession to the Crown of England, with a 

 Review of the Scottish History previous to that Period, and an 

 Appendix containing original Papers/ 2 vols. 4to, 1759. The work 

 was very well received, and went through numerous editions in the 

 author's lifetime. In 1761 Dr. Robertson was made one of the king's 

 chaplains, and in 1762 he was appointed Principal of the University of 

 Edinburgh. Two years after he was made historiographer to hia 

 Majesty for Scotland, with a salary of 200Z. In 1769 he published his 

 ' History of Charles V7 in 3 vols. 4to, a work which raised his reputa- 

 tion still higher, and which, from the general interest belonging to the 

 subject, was very popular ; it was immediately translated into several 

 languages. The introductory part consists of an able, though super- 

 ficial, sketch of the political and social state of Europe at the time of 

 the accession of Charles V., a most important period which forms 

 the connection between the middle ages and the history of modern 

 European society and politics. This part of the work has been much 

 admired for the comprehensiveness of its views, for clearness of expo- 

 sition and graphic power; but its sweeping statements must often be 

 received with considerable caution. The narrative of the reign and age 

 of Charles is Robertson's master-piece. For his ' History of America,' 

 2 vols. 4to, 1777, Robertson obtained, through several friends, much 

 valuable information from the Spanish and other archives. In 1785 

 he published some valuable ' Additions and Corrections to the former 

 Editions of the History of Scotland.' 



His celebrity as an author, and the powers which he displayed as a 

 party chief in the Churcjh, where his influence was unbounded, gave 

 rise to a proposition from the court, at the end of George II.'s reign, 

 having for its object his promotion to the dignities of the English 

 Church. This (says his biographer, Dugald Stewart) met with such a 

 repulse as effectually prevented a repetition of the attempt. 



In 1791 Dr. Robertson published an ' Historical Disquisition con- 

 cerning the Knowledge which the Antients had of India, and the 

 Progress of Trade with that Country previous to the Discovery of the 

 Cape of Good Hope.' This agreeable and well written essay is now 

 nearly superseded by more recent works. 



Dr. Robertson died at Grange House, near Edinburgh, in June 1793. 

 He is justly reckoned among the best British historical writers. His 

 style is easy and flowing, his language correct, his tone philosophic, 

 his opinions are enlightened and sober, and his expressions temperate. 

 But he was too apt to be satisfied with secondary and common-place 

 authorities, and to put off or evade original investigation, while it 

 must be owned that in his fondness for generalising, and for heightening 

 effect, he sometimes makes statements and describes incidents which 

 are wholly unwarranted by the authorities he cites. Hume, who was 

 his intimate friend notwithstanding the difference of their opinions, 

 greatly extolled Robertson's ' History of Scotland,' and Gibbon has 

 borne ample testimony both to his accuracy and his style. 



The works of Robertson were published together in French, ' (Euvres 

 completes de W. Robertson, pre'ce'de'es d'une Notice par J. A. C. Buchot/ 

 2 vols. large 8vo, Paris, 1837. Mr. Prescott has lately published a new 

 edition of Robertson's ', History of Charles V./ with notes and a supple- 

 ment, embodying much important matter which has come to light 

 since Robertson's death. 



ROBERVAL, a French mathematician, whose proper name was 

 GILES PERSONIER. He was born in 1602, at a place called Rober- 

 val in the diocese of Beauvais ; and having completed an extensive 

 course of study, he went, in 1627, to Paris ; where he connected him- 

 self with Pere Mersenne and other learned men of the age, among 

 whom his talents soon acquired for him considerable reputation. He 

 was chosen professor of mathematics in the college of Gervais, which 

 had been founded by Ramus at Paris, and, together with this appoint- 

 ment, he was allowed to hold, after the death of Morin, the chair of 

 mathematics at the college of France. 



