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55 supported an Italian opera till 1778, and besides the Court Theatre was used as an affiliated stage of the Danish Na­ tional Tlieatre, which had been opened in 1748 in the Kon­ gens Nytorv (King’s New Market), having originally been founded in 1722 by the Frencli actor, René de Montaigu, and the dramatist, Ludvig Holberg, botli of them, from an artistic point of view, pupils of Moliére. A copy of Mon- taigu’s petition for establishing a theatre in the Danish language, is found in the Holberg section of the Museum. It constitutes the origin of all dramatic art in Scandinavia. Some few small Street play-bills from the period of about 1722, tell us how modest was the commencement. The hånd of Ludvig Holberg is also found on a pay-order issued to some of the first actors. These are the only lines still extant concerning the Theatre from the hånd of the master. Many artists of the great nations of Europe have per- formed on the Court Theatre. In 1801, the Englishman James Price and the Italian Joseph Casorti introduced their pantomimes, which gradually were nationalized by their successors. In 1814, the German director Gorbing Franck gave performances witli a big troupe, and, in 1843, his French colleague Hébert with a no smaller one. The year before, the Court Theatre had been rebuilt by order of the king, Christian VIII. (1786-—1848), especially for the use of Italian opera singers, wlio were patronized by the Court and the Society of the Capital, and whose primadonna, Signora Forconi, was appointed Royal Danish private singer to the King. Her portrait is found in the Museum. Also the world-renowned Swedish and Italian lady singers, Jenny Lind and Angelica Catalani, have sung in these rooms, and the celebrated Italian tragédienne, Signora Ristori, gave a series of performances in 1880. Of these ar­ tists the Museum also possesses portraits. The Court The-