Artwork
A Taamirah W. bank of Dead Sea at Jordan
A Taamirah W. bank of Dead Sea at Jordan is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist R. Aulick. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The watercolor, executed in 1848 by R.
About this work
Overview
The watercolor, executed in 1848 by R. Aulick, portrays the western shoreline of the Dead Sea within present‑day Jordan. A solitary figure, robed and barefoot, leans on a long staff while two smaller companions sit on a nearby slope, all set against a gently undulating horizon under a cloud‑filled sky.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure’s calm stance amid the stark terrain suggests a contemplative interaction with the landscape, emphasizing human modesty against the vastness of the desert environment. The accompanying figures, rendered smaller and seated, reinforce a sense of scale and the quiet observation of the surrounding geography.
Technique & Style
Aulick employs a restrained palette of earthy browns and muted whites, allowing the watercolor wash to convey the arid atmosphere without vivid coloration. The handling of light and shadow, along with the soft delineation of the hills, reflects a Romantic sensibility that foregrounds the emotive power of nature.
History & Provenance
Originally published as an illustration opposite page 314 of William Francis Lynch’s 1849 account of the United States expedition to the Jordan and the Dead Sea, the work later entered the collection of R. Appleby. In March 1963, Rodney Searight purchased it from Siddons Gallery, where it remains documented.
Artist & collection
Artist
British artist R. Aulick traveled the Dead Sea’s western shore in the late 1840s and sketched the landscape in watercolour. The five works in this bundle show Bedouin camps by the Belus River, an encampment at…
