A scene from the Commedia del'Arte

A firm attribution for the present finely worked drawing has eluded us. Malton did paint scenery for the theatre. In 1780-81 he was working for Drury Lane and from 1790-1794 at Covent Garden. Here, among the ambitious sets for James Wild's pantomime Harlequin and Faustus, Malton received particular praise for 'a representation of the scaffolding prepared for the building of the new Drury Lane Theatre as it appeared in July [1793] and which changed to a view of that theatre as it would appear when completed'.

In the present drawing Harlequin can be seen ascending the stairs and the girl with him is probably Columbine, two characters from an adaptation of the Commedia del'arte, which was becoming popular in London in the early decades of the 18th Century.