L’incendie de l’Opéra, vu des jardins du Palais-Royal, le 8 juin 1781 1781

Hubert Robert painted the burning of the Paris Opera using oils, as seen from the gardens of the Palais-Royal, on June 8, 1781. The painting shows a detached and picturesque view of the fire. This disastrous event took place at a time when opera was a central part of French aristocratic culture and national identity, with the institution of the opera intimately connected to the monarchy. By painting the event, Robert situates the fire within a familiar genre of "picturesque ruin," thus aestheticizing a moment of institutional crisis. The detached perspective invites a discussion of what role such institutions played in pre-revolutionary France. To understand the full implications of this painting, we can consult period newspapers and other records from the Archives Nationales to understand the cultural significance of the opera and the political impact of its destruction.