David Roberts RA was born in Edinburgh in 1796.  From humble background, he quickly developed his artistic skills to creating set design for theatres in London and Edinburgh, including the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the Royal Opera house.  In 1824 he visited Normandy where he made drawings of gothic buildings and went on to visit much of Europe.  Many of these drawings he later translated into oils and watercolours. He was a contributor for many years to the Landscape Annual and became an associate member of the Royal Academy in 1839 and a full member two years later, and from 1842 he was a member of the Society of British Artists. He exhibited in London at the Suffolk Street Gallery.