Study of a Monk

Study of a Monk from around 1830 by David Roberts is a figure study that may have served as preparation for a larger architectural composition. Roberts frequently included monastic figures in his church interior paintings to provide scale and religious atmosphere. Roberts built up his architectural subjects with careful pencil underdrawing before applying watercolor or oil washes, combining the documentary precision of a trained scene painter with genuine artistic sensitivity to light and atmosp

The figure study captures the monk's habit and posture with Roberts's precise descriptive technique, likely intended for incorporation into an architectural setting.