Watercolour. 15½ by 6¾ in.
These gardens, over against Somerset House in the Strand, were named
after Boydell Cuper, gardener to Thomas, Earl of Arundel, who, when
Arundel House was taken down, moved some of the mutilated marbles
there, and opened them as a place of popular amusement. It continued
to be thus used, and was famous for its fireworks. Degenerating in
character, it was suppressed about the year 1753. On the site Messrs.
Beaufoy established their works; they moved to South Lambeth when
Waterloo Bridge (which runs over part of the gardens) was erected.
The watercolour hardly looks as if it were earlier than the date of
the closing of the gardens. Perhaps there was no great change in the
entrance for some years.
_Lent by Sir E. Coates._