The Collection

In our opulent Victorian gallery on the first floor visitors can enjoy around 100 works of art from our own collection, with paintings from the 15th century to the present day.

There are also displays of beautiful ceramics and glittering glass and an ‘open storage’ area for decorative art, with shelves packed with items that would otherwise be tucked away behind the scenes.

The highlights of the Upper Gallery collection include a Tudor portrait of Henry VIII and works by Thomas Gainsborough, the most famous artist to have worked in Bath. Two of the best-loved paintings here are HH La Thangue’s idyllic view of a country lane, The Watersplash, and Emmeline Deane’s mesmerising portrait of the Polish artist Anna Bilinska.

We cannot display everything in our collection, but all of our oil paintings and sculptures can be viewed on the Art UK website. We also have watercolours, prints and drawings that are shown in special exhibitions but can also be seen in our Study Facilities. If your heart is set on seeing a particular work, do get in touch to see if it is currently on display.

Top Ten Treasures

We've made a series of videos for you to find out more about the Top 10 Treasures in our collection!

Video Information

Small Harbour Scene Paul Klee

ART UK

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Anna Bilinska by Emmeline Deane

ART UK

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Adoration of the Magi by Hugo van der Goes

ART UK

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Daisy Fairy by Peter Blake

ART UK

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The Bride of Death by Thomas Jones Barker

ART UK

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The Watersplash by Henry Herbert La Thangue

ART UK

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The Death of Cleopatra by Benedetto Gennari the younger

ART UK

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Back of the Assembly Rooms by Walter Sickert

ART UK

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William Harbutt by Edwin Whitney-Smith

ART UK

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Thomas Rumbold and Son by Thomas Gainsborough

ART UK

The Lichfield Clock

Our unusual and intriguing Lichfield Clock delights visitors to the Upper Gallery. This musical clock dates from around 1740, but, due to its age, the machinery is rarely set in motion. Instead take a look at the video, which shows the clock after it has been wound up. It would chime at prayer times and has three figures that revolve around the central carving of Pontius Pilate: the Virgin Mary, Jesus going to his crucifixion and Simon of Cyrene bearing the cross.

The clock must have originally had a religious function – perhaps in a private chapel. The case is shaped like a church tower and features panels engraved with religious texts in Latin. Angels with trumpets flank the clock face.

The clock once had pride of place in the private museum of an apothecary, Richard Greene, who lived in Lichfield – hence the name. It was made by a group of cabinet makers and clockmakers, George Donisthorpe, Mr Marson and Mr Scarborough. We know nothing about them beyond their names, but they were clearly imaginative and highly skilled with a flair for eccentric Gothic design.

Explore Bath's world heritage

Other things to do in Bath

The Collection

In our opulent Victorian gallery on the first floor visitors can enjoy around 100 works of art from our own collection, with paintings from the 15th century to the present day.

Top Ten Treasures

Recent Acquisitions

Explore Bath's world heritage

Explore Bath's world heritage

Other things to do in Bath

The Collection

Top Ten Treasures

Recent Acquisitions

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