The Victoria Art Gallery’s collection has works by over 2000
artists. These range from amateur local artists, who have provided
us with valuable records of Bath and Somerset over the centuries,
to well-known figures. From the 18th century Bath
became a popular city for society people to visit.
The Gallery has examples of work by portrait painters such as
Thomas Gainsborough, Johann Zoffany and Thomas Lawrence who painted
the wealthy people who visited the city.
Artists also came to stay in Bath and painted pictures of the
city. We have works by 20th century artists like
Walter Sickert and John Nash, as well as
18th century artists like Thomas Malton who came to
Bath to make drawings which were made into hugely popular series of
prints sold all over the country.
The Gallery’s collection has also been built up by the generous
gifts of local people. Through these donations we have acquired
works by artists such as Edward Burne-Jones, Henry la Thangue and
Walter Langley.
Thomas Lawrence, Self Portrait as a Young Man, 1787
Edward Burne-Jones, The Virtuous Woman,
1880s