In May 1839, Scottish painter David Roberts documented the monumental ruins of antiquity across Egypt and the Levant, later published as iconic tinted lithographs. For this series, we imagined his fictional successor in 2026 embarking on a parallel grand expedition to document the colossal 'monuments' of the Anthropocene. Using Roberts’ signature sepia linework, warm gouache washes, and theatrical perspective, the series illustrates contemporary architectural landmarks. Sourced from the public domain archives of the Wellcome Collection, Roberts’ nineteenth-century romantic ruin aesthetic is repurposed to capture architecture the modern age.
