The Tower of Comares Fortress of the Alhambra

The Tower of Comares Fortress of the Alhambra   

David Roberts, 1837 

Hand-coloured lithograph 

David Roberts stayed in Granada for three weeks in February 1833. Acutely aware of the novelty value of his subject and the potential financial gain, Roberts produced many sketches of the Alhambra, including exterior views of the monument from different viewpoints alongside views of the inner courtyard and ornate halls within the palace. Roberts had a background in designing stage scenery for the theatre, which partly explains his manipulative approach to the representation of buildings and landscape. He chose dynamic viewpoints and often sacrificed accuracy for visually stimulating effects.  

In this lithograph, the Alhambra palace-fortress is depicted from an angled view below, which enhances the imposing appearance of its exterior, as it recedes from the left to right. The composition is dominated by the Tower of Comares, with the smaller Peinador de la Reina visible on the right. Further back, smaller towers and the large watchtower, the Torre de la Vela, of the military citadel can be identified. A line of small figures is depicted in the middle-ground, climbing up the steep hill. The figures in the lower foreground, along with the roof of a house from which smoke wafts out of a chimney, provide a glimpse into everyday Spanish life amidst this grand scene. 

Title: The Tower of Comares Fortress of the Alhambra. 

Author/Artist: David Roberts (1796-1864). 

Technique and Material: Hand-coloured lithograph, paper. 

Size: 410 x 290 mm (image), 550 x 370 mm (page). 

Published: Plate 10 from David Roberts, Picturesque Sketches in Spain taken during the years 1832 & 1833. London: Hodgson & Graves, 1837. 

Date: 1837. 

Marks and Inscriptions: on the plate, bottom centre: ‘The Fortress of the Alhambra’; right: ‘D. Roberts ‘83’. 

Institution: Barry Ife Collection.