Convent of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai 

David Roberts created this watercolor of the Convent of Saint Catherine at Mount Sinai. Notice how the composition emphasizes horizontal and vertical lines. These lines intersect to form a grid, which lends the painting structure and stability. The soft, muted colors, mostly browns, greens, and creams, create a sense of tranquility and timelessness. The structure of the painting encourages us to consider how Roberts viewed and portrayed the East. Roberts was working during a period when Europeans’ interests in the “Orient” were heightened. Through attention to detail and the calculated use of light and shadow, he captured not just the physical appearance of the convent but also the unique atmosphere of the region. The convent, depicted with precise architectural detail, appears almost superimposed against the landscape of the Sinai desert. The contrast between the solid man-made structure and the vast expanse of the desert invites reflection on the themes of civilization, nature, and the sacred. It’s up to us to decide whether Roberts intended to reinforce or challenge these conventional oppositions.