Volume 3 > Half-Volume 5

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hibited his more varied and popular productions:
"Christmas-day in St. Peter's at Rome;" "St.
Peter's�looking back upon Rome;" "Venice�
approach to the Grand Canal;" "Italy�a composi-
tion;" and "Monument to Bartolemeo Colleoni in
SS. Giovanni e Paolo, Venice." In 1857, "Interior
of the Duomo at Milan;" "The Piazza Novana at
Rome;" and the "Interior of the Church of St.
Gommaire at Lierre, in Brabant." After Venice and
Rome had supplied their subjects, the mind of
Roberts, as if weary of its long career of foreign travel,
reverted to home-scenes, and he seemed content to
find within and around London subjects worthy of
his delineation. He was engaged by an eminent pic-
ture-dealer to furnish a series of metropolitan views,
and of these some appeared at the exhibitions of the
Royal Academy, while others were sketched out and
in progress at the time of his death. That closing
event was sudden and unexpected. While walking
in Berners Street on the afternoon of Friday, the 25th
of November, 1864, he fell down in a fit of apoplexy.
To those who went to his assistance he could only
utter the words, "Fitzroy Street" (the place of his
residence), and never spoke afterwards. He died at
seven o'clock in the evening of the same day.
The private character of David Roberts was in
many respects a contrast to his manner and appear-
ance. A dry exterior covered an affectionate genial
heart, and while he painted with such fire and rapidity,
his conversation was slow, inanimate, and sparing.
Such peculiarities could easily be forgiven by those
who knew his kindly disposition, and how eloquent
he was with his pencil. He delighted in private acts
of benevolence, especially to old friends in reduced
circumstances, and often his bounty was conveyed
to them under the strictest injunctions of secresy.
While thus liberal, however, his early life had also
taught him the value of economy; his business deal-
ings were conducted with most mercantile exactness,
and he died more wealthy than the generality of suc-
cessful artists. Although so short a period of his
life had been spent in Scotland, his love of country
had never decayed, and scarcely a year elapsed,
while he was in England, without his paying a visit
to Edinburgh, to renew old friendships and his love
of old localities. Edinburgh also appreciated her
distinguished son, and in 1858 the freedom of the
city was conferred upon him; while in the evening
of the same day himself and his old friend Stanfield
were entertained at a banquet given by the Royal
Scottish Academy. It only remains to be added,
that, according to his own request, the remains of
David Roberts were buried in a private unostenta-
tious manner in the Norwood Cemetery.
In affectionately describing him as "a kindly
canny Scot, well-to-do, amazingly clever in his own
sphere of art, and liked by all who knew him," the
Times thus specifies his qualities as an artist:�"He
was certainly the best architectural painter that our
country has yet produced. In this department of
art, indeed, he stands almost alone among us, the
artist who comes next to him being Samuel Prout, the
water-colour painter, who died in 1852. Probably
the chief reason why he stands so nearly alone is,
that the artist who has an eye for the picturesque in
architecture naturally becomes an architect, and will
not be content to make pictures of architecture. Mr.
Roberts had a wonderfully quick eye for all striking
effects of architecture, and transferred them to his
canvas with great ease. Nothing can be more effec-
tive than his views of cathedral interiors lit up with
the magnificent pageants of Roman Catholic religion.
He gave a grand broad effect, a truthful general
result, and did not much trouble himself with minute-
ness of workmanship. In this respect one is apt now
and then while looking at his pictures to remember
the scene-painter; but, in point of fact, minuteness
of work would be misplaced in an architectural
painting, and there if anywhere the artist may be
allowed to generalize. In this broad style of treat-
ment Mr. David Roberts was particularly happy,
and he could be very prolific. He painted quickly,
and he painted much. . . . Apart from the interest
which attaches to him as an artist, and which is to
be measured by the amount of his actual achieve-
ment, there is another interest which belongs to his
career, and which is to be measured by the amount
of difficulties he had to overcome. He who began
as a humble house-painter, and ended as a royal
academician, has not a little to boast of. He too
belongs to that proud phalanx of men whose bio-
graphies touch most keenly all young ambition�
the self-made men who from small beginnings have
fought their way upwards to fame, to wealth, and
to station.''
ROBERTSON, ALEXANDER, of Strowan, a dis-
tinguished Highland chief and poet, was the second
son of the preceding laird of Strowan, who bore the
same name, by Marion, daughter of General Baillie
of Letham, and was born about the year 1670. He
was educated, with the design of his becoming a
clergyman, under John Menzies, regent in the uni-
versity of St. Andrews, who aided the influence of
hereditary associations in inspiring him with a
zealous attachment to the persons and principles of
the Stuarts. His father died in 1688, after having
enjoined upon him, with his latest breath, that he
should never forget the loyal example of his ances-
tors; and as his elder brother only survived his
father a few months, he fell into the family inherit-
ance at a very early age, immediately before the
Revolution. When Dundee raised the clans in the
ensuing year on behalf of the exiled King James,
young Strowan joined him with his men, but does
not appear to have been present at the battle of
Killiecrankie. He was taken prisoner in September,
and put under honourable confinement at Perth; but
was soon after liberated, in exchange for the laird of
Pollock.
Being now attainted and deprived of his estate, he
joined the court of the expatriated monarch at St.
Germains, where he lived for several years, chiefly
supported by remittances from his friends in Scot-
land. He also served one or two campaigns in the
French army. In 1703, Queen Anne having pro-
mised him a remission of his attainder and forfeiture,
he returned to Scotland; and though, from some un-
explained cause, the remission never passed the seals,
he does not appear to have found any difficulty in
obtaining possession of his estates, or any danger to
his person in a residence within the seas of Bri-
tain. Unwarned by the misfortunes which had
flowed from his first military enterprise, he joined
the Earl of Mar in 1715, with between 400 and 500
men, and took a very active part in the whole enter-
prise. He seized the castle of Weem, belonging to
a Whig gentleman, Menzies of Weem; was present
at the battle of Sherifrmuir, where he was taken
prisoner but rescued; and with great reluctance
yielded to the order for the dispersion of his clan,
which was issued to him, in common with the other
chiefs, at the departure of the unfortunate Chevalier
and his generalissimo from the country. Strowan
was soon after taken prisoner in the Highlands, but
making his escape from a party of soldiers who were
escorting him to Edinburgh Castle, again proceeded
to France, to spend another period of poverty and