St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden, after the fire
1795
Edward Dayes sketched the smoldering ruins of St. Paul’s Church in Covent Garden shortly after a devastating fire in September 1795. Known as the 'actors' church' for its location near London's theaters, the building was gutted, leaving Inigo Jones's grand classical portico standing stark and white against a blackened, roofless shell. In a very 18th-century twist, well-dressed Londoners have gathered not in panic, but for a polite morning stroll to gawk at the destruction, turning a disaster into a social spectacle.
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