By Kish Beverely
New paintings by David Roberts were recently acquired by the Museum of Art, adding a new resource to the permanent collection.
Diana Turnbow, assistant curator, said the prints of David Roberts were created between 1842-1844, and are some of the best-known pictures of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.
“Roberts did a good job of depicting what existed 130 years ago,” Turnbow said. “His excellent paintings are a good benchmark for comparison to the continued destruction of habitats and historical religious sites in the Holy Land.”
Turnbow said Roberts paintings romanticize the places and people to some extent, but manages to convey a sense of timelessness and anticipation, drawing audiences to his images.
“Jerusalem and the Holy Land Rediscovered:” exhibit will be a free admission from Nov. 21 through Feb. 15, 2003.
The exhibit displays Jerusalem as the capital of the ancient Hebrew kingdom, the spiritual center for three major world religions.
Visitors will have the chance to view Jewish, Christian and Muslim pilgrims clothing, photographs and paintings of pilgrimage sites in the holy land.
Mark Magleby, Art History Instructor for the Visual Arts Department, said Roberts paintings depict his own remarkable pilgrimage of unprecedented access to Egypt and Palestine during the early 1800”s.
Magleby said the pieces are especially valuable for BYU students. Students will be able to get a close-up look at an architecturally accurate collection of images of the holy land to date.
“Roberts paintings are considered by some the pinnacle of geographic lithography prior to the age of photography,” Magleby said. “It”s his uncanny ability to portray visual images of his pilgrimage that makes him unique.”
“Jerusalem and the Holy Land Rediscovered” exhibit was organized by the Duke Univeristy museum of art, as part of the Israel/North Carolina Exchange.
Some of the clothing, objects and prints were provided by the Hellenic Cultural Museum in Salt Lake City.
