IMPORTANT IRISH ART Monday 4 December 2023 at 6pm, Lots 1-133

130 94 19th Century Irish School RUINS OF THE ROYAL ARCADE, DUBLIN watercolour with Pyms Gallery label on reverse 14 by 19in. (35.6 by 48.3cm) Frame Size: 23.5 by 28in. (59.7 by 71.1cm) Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London; Private collection In 1819 a new shopping arcade was built to connect College Green with Suffolk Street at a cost of £16,000 including 30 shops on the ground floor. The first floor was fitted out as a bazaar with 200 feet of counters for casual traders. It also housed supper and card rooms, as well as The Sans Pareil Theatre and an art gallery. The arcades cast iron gates were closed each evening at 10pm. In the early hours of the 24th April 1837 clouds of smoke billowed forth from each end and fire then spread quickly throughout the building. The roof had caught fire by the time the first of the fire brigades had arrived. The fire engines were manned by civilians and soldiers assisted by insurance company crews. As the roof crashed down fire spread to the Royal Hotel and other adjacent premises and soon four premises in Suffolk Street together with the hotel and three premises on College Green were burning shells which were pulled down by the artillery regiment who were in attendance for fear of collapse. The extent of damage caused was blamed on the Corporation of Dublin for the lack of water and fire plugs. A view of the fire by William Sadler II (1782-1839), formerly in the collection of the Bank of Ireland, was sold at Adam’s as lot 141 for €23,000 on 24 November 2010. A slightly smaller painting called ‘’The burning of Holmes Emporium’’ is in the collection of The National Gallery of Ireland (Ref 1827). €6,000-€8,000 (£5,220-£6,960 approx.) Click here for more images and to bid on this lot94