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Lot Essay
At 4 a.m. on the morning of 21 September 1808, fire broke out at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, now known as the Royal Opera House. Within three hours the whole theatre was destroyed but the books, accounts, deeds and cash were saved owing to the intervention of the treasurer Mr Hughes. The present drawing shows the Prince of Wales (the future King George IV) ceremonially laying the first Portland stone for the new building which was said to weigh one ton. Once workmen had lowered it into place, His Majesty gave it three strokes with a mallet. The Prince of Wales was accompanied by Sir Robert Smirke, architect, who showed him the proposed Greek revival design for the theatre. Following the ceremony all the dignitaries, including the Prince who was still wearing his Freemason regalia, went to the Freemasons Tavern for a meal. On 18 September 1809, the new Theatre Royal reopened with a performance of Macbeth starring Sarah Siddons. The theatre only lasted until 1856 when it again burned down and the present building was opened in 1858.
This drawing depicts the site of the Royal Opera House from Floral Street to the north. To the left is Bow Street where the sign of Garricks Head Tavern is visible. It had opened in 1805 at no. 27 to serve the theatre’s audience. The large building behind Bow Street is the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane which had been rebuilt by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in 1794 and was to burn down in 1809. Behind Drury Lane, the spire of the church of St Mary-le-Strand is visible.
From 1802 to 1813 Daniell was working on a series of London views and it could be that he intended an engraving of this subject. It never materialised but he did publish an engraving of the east front of the new theatre on 1 September 1809.
This drawing depicts the site of the Royal Opera House from Floral Street to the north. To the left is Bow Street where the sign of Garricks Head Tavern is visible. It had opened in 1805 at no. 27 to serve the theatre’s audience. The large building behind Bow Street is the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane which had been rebuilt by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in 1794 and was to burn down in 1809. Behind Drury Lane, the spire of the church of St Mary-le-Strand is visible.
From 1802 to 1813 Daniell was working on a series of London views and it could be that he intended an engraving of this subject. It never materialised but he did publish an engraving of the east front of the new theatre on 1 September 1809.