The Italian Opera House, Haymarket, prior to the fire of June 1789
1788
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1788
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
William Capon painted the inside of a London opera house just before it burned down. He used watercolour and pencil in 1788. This was the Romantic era, when artists liked mood over perfect lines. Back then, opera houses were social hubs—not just for shows. Capon shows that mix of glitter and grit before the flames hit in 1789. The Victoria and Albert Museum keeps this piece in its Harry Beard Collection.
