Bath has attracted many artists since its spa became popular in
the 18th century. We have few images of the city
from before the 18th century, but once it became a
thriving spa town, artists flocked here to record its sights and
characters.
Landscape painters, local artists and caricaturists were
all drawn to the area, and painted the city. They left us with an
important record of its development.
Our pictures of the city do not just
record the places people lived in, but they also give us a
fascinating insight into how those people lived and the things they
did here.
John Nixon, Mrs Marshall at the Pump
Room, 1810