Name of Object:

Chancel of the Church of St Helena

Location:

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (Sharjah)

Holding Institution:

Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Authority

 About Sharjah Museums Authority, Sharjah

Date of Object:

Published 1843

Author:

David Roberts; Louis Hague (David Roberts: 24/10/1796; Louis Hague: 17/3/1806, David Roberts: Edinburgh, Scotland; Louis Hague: Tournai, Belgium-David Roberts: 25/11/1864; Louis Hague: 9/3/1885, David Roberts: London; Louis Hague: London)

Inventory Number:

SM 2006 - 409

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Lithograph

Dimensions:

402 mm x 557 mm

Provenance:

London

Description:

The slightly confusing title of this print by David Roberts actually refers to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, first commissioned in 327 AD by the Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena. at the spot where it is believed Jesus was born. The view captures the area before the iconostasis shielding the main altar in the eastern apse of the church, as well as - below on the right - the south-eastern entrance to the Grotto of the Nativity.The Church of the Nativity is one of the foremost pilgrimage sites for Christians and would have been a highlight on the itinerary of European travellers to the Holy Land. As is typical for his works, Roberts exaggerates the proportions of the architecture in relation to the human figures, which appear dwarfed by the majesty and monumentality of the structures that surround them.

Citation of this web page:

Ulrike al-Khamis "Chancel of the Church of St Helena" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;ua;24;en;N

Prepared by: Ulrike Al-Khamis

MWNF Working Number: UA 024