Covent Garden theatre frieze

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In 1809, renowned artist John Flaxman received a commission to create two stone friezes for the façade of the Covent Garden Theatre (designed by architect Robert Smirke), now home to the prestigious Royal Opera House. Four reliefs serve as models for these original pieces, showcasing characters integral to both Ancient and Modern theatre traditions. Aristophanes, a celebrated Greek dramatist, takes center stage in one relief, while William Shakespeare, England's beloved bard, is immortalized in another. These groundbreaking works were among the first British sculptures directly inspired by the Parthenon marbles, which had been transported from Athens to Britain in 1807 by Lord Elgin. Following their arrival, Flaxman personally examined the marbles at Lord Elgin's residence before they were housed in the esteemed British Museum.