Drury Lane Theatre, London

Medium: aquatint

Artist: A. Pugin

Engraver: Thomas Rowlandson

Dated: 1808

Image Dimensions: 10½" x 9" (26.67cm x 22.86cm)

Price: £250.00

This image is a rare hand-colored etching and aquatint titled “Drury Lane Theatre” (Plate 32) from the famous plate book The Microcosm of London, published on August 1, 1808, by Rudolph Ackermann.

The Collaboration

The print is unique because it combines the specialized work of two master artists to create a comprehensive snapshot of Georgian London:

- Augustus Charles Pugin: Drew the grand architectural framework, capturing the towering four-tiered boxes, grand proscenium arch, and sweeping interior layout.
- Thomas Rowlandson: A legendary caricaturist who added the lively human elements. He animated the space with a bustling crowd packed into the “pit” and private boxes, utilizing his trademark expressive faces and social observation.
- John Bluck: Executed the technical aquatinting on the plate to produce the tonal gradations and depth.

Historical Significance

This plate captures a fleeting moment in London’s theatrical history. It depicts the third incarnation of the Drury Lane Theatre—a magnificent, expanded venue designed by architect Henry Holland that opened in 1794. Ironically, despite being heavily marketed as fireproof, the entire building shown here burned to the ground in 1809, less than a year after this specific print was published. The play shown mid-performance on the stage is believed to be Shakespeare’s tragedy, Coriolanus.