Painting
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Charles J. Phipps (possibly, artist)
- Materials and Techniques:
Watercolour, bodycolour and pencil on paper
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
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This watercolour is the earliest detailed view of a theatre interior designed by the noted architect Charles J. Phipps. It was executed by Phipps for J.H. Chute in 1867 and illustrates the innovative nature of his theatre interiors at this date. It incorporates a figurative panel in the deep entablature above the proscenium opening, and this and the continuation of the front of the gallery tier on a continuous horizontal line, were features of the architectural handling of both the New Theatre Royal Bristol and the Queen's Theatre, Long Acre, London, deriving from Phipps's familiarity with the Vaudeville Theatre, Paris.
The frieze at Bristol was painted by Henry Holiday, and the act-drop, representing the interior of a Roman Villa, was painted by G. Gordon with some of the figures by William Harford. Although the watercolour is not signed, it may well be by Phipps himself since he exhibited watercolours on several occasions. In 1863 he exhibited a view of his Theatre Royal, Bath, and in 1867 views by him of a number of his theatres were selected for submission to the Paris Exhibition.
Physical description
Watercolour drawing over pencil, heightened with bodycolour and scratched out, of the interior of the New Theatre Royal, Bristol, c.1870, during a performance. Depicting the set consisting of a pillared classical building on stage with a throned woman, upstage right, surrounded by attendants. The view is from the front of the dress circle, showing the audience in the stalls and the orchestra, and the audience in the dress circle and upper circle, both stage right and stage left. The view includes the entire proscenium arch, the curtain, and the cupola of the ceiling, painted with a frieze of Greek maidens in white robes.
Date
ca. 1870 (made)
Artist/maker
Charles J. Phipps (possibly, artist)
Materials and Techniques
Watercolour, bodycolour and pencil on paper
Dimensions
Height: 52.0 cm, Width: 69.5 cm
Descriptive line
Interior of the New Theatre Royal, Bristol, c.1870. The theatre was designed by C.J. Phipps and opened in 1867. Watercolour, bodycolour and pencil on paper. Anonymous, but possibly C.J. Phipps.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Theatre Notebook, 1988. A View of the New Theatre Royal, Bristol by Hugh F.B. Maguire.
'In May 1984 Sotheby's offered for auction a watercolour depicting the interior of a mid-nineteenth-century theatre. Entitled 'Interior of the Queen's Theatre, Long Acre, London' it was attributed to the English School and dated 1850. On more than cursory examination of this watercolour it becomes clear that it does not depict the Queen's Theatre, although it displays many similarities with other views of the theatre, instead it depicts the interior of the New Theatre Royal, Bristol, designed by Charles J. Phipps for J.H. Chute in 1867.'
Materials
Paper; Pencil; Watercolour; Bodycolour
Techniques
Watercolour drawing; Hand-colouring
Subjects depicted
The Theatre Royal, Bristol
Categories
Entertainment & Leisure; Paintings
Collection code
T&P
