British School, Ladymead House, Walcot, Bath, c.1730
Johann Zoffany, Portrait of Sophia
Dumergue, c.1780
Thomas Jones Barker, The Bride in
Death, 1839
William Widgery, Cheddar Gorge,
c.1860
David Hardy, Boys Playing with Marbles,
1855
Rex Whistler, The Foreign Bloke,
c.1933
Walter Richard Sickert, London Street, Bath,
c.1941
Peter Brown, A Glimpse of Sun on Milsom
Street, 1999
British Painting
The display focuses on the history of British oil painting, from
the end of the seventeenth century up to the present day. In it we
look at some of the main themes and styles of British art, showing
how they changed over the years.
Most of the paintings on display were kindly donated by local
people. A few have been bought by the Gallery, carefully chosen to
fill in gaps in the collection. However, our collection is not
extensive enough to represent every major artist or movement in
British art.
Before the nineteenth century
In the seventeenth century only the very wealthiest people had
paintings in their homes, and art was associated with aristocracy
and royalty.
But during the 18th century, the market for art grew and
changed. This was a period of prosperity in Britain, and more
people had money to spend on luxury goods. Sitting for a portrait
became an essential activity for the tourists who flocked to Bath
for the spa cure.
The most talented portrait artists, such as Thomas Lawrence and
Thomas Gainsborough, commanded great respect and were able to
charge high prices for their work.
1800 – 1850
During this period in British painting, wealthy people no longer
just bought portraits. They extended their field of interest to all
sorts of subjects.
Paintings that told a story became popular, like Barker’s
The Bride in Death which was based on a tragic
poem.
As the British economy became more dependent on industry than
agriculture, some artists were keen to record real life and to
embrace progress, whilst others focussed on idealised views of
the countryside.
1850 to 1900
The Victorian period was a time of great prosperity. The wealthy
middle classes had money to spend, and collecting paintings became
fashionable. Art was made more accessible for poorer people
too, as exhibition venues opened up that displayed art to the
masses.
Paintings that stirred the emotions became popular, such as
William Widgery’s Cheddar Gorge.
The Victorians were drawn to art that stimulated the emotions
rather than the intellect. Idealised pictures of poor and innocent
children were popular, such as Hardy’s Boys Playing
Marbles.
1900 to 1939
In the Edwardian era, portraiture again became highly
fashionable. The advent of photography meant that sitting for a
painted portrait again became a mark of status.
Artists were increasingly drawn to paint the real lives of
working people, for example Rex Whistler’s The Foreign
Bloke.
The 1920s and 1930s was a period of exploration and
experimentation in British art. Walter Sickert and William Roberts
took their lead from the Impressionists and Cubists. Even a
conventional work like Cecil Kennedy’s Flowers has an
unsettling Surrealist feeling to it.
1939 to present day
During the Second World War many artists recorded Britain before
and after the devastations of the Blitz. Walter Sickert’s
London Street, Bath basks in late afternoon
sunshine.
Two key locations for progressive painters in the 1950s and
1960s were St. Ives in Cornwall and Corsham in Wiltshire. Many
artists commuted between the two places whilst teaching part-time
at the Bath Academy of Art, then based at Corsham. The painter
William Scott was a pivotal figure in this exchange.
Bath and the surrounding area continue to attract many talented
artists. The 18th century tradition of recording the changing face
of the city has received new impetus in recent years. Peter Brown
uses the street as his studio, whilst Barrington Tabb is drawn to
the local industrial heritage.