Open full image Pin

Lansdown Fair, near Bath

Thomas Barker

1780

oil

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Rococo painting Romanticism 18th Century Genre Scene

Dominant colour

Lansdown Fair, near Bath is a 1780 oil by Thomas Barker, a Rococo painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Thomas Barker
When & what style?: 1780 · Rococo painting
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

You see a lively fair scene with people playing a game in the foreground. The painting shows a fun atmosphere with light clouds in the background. The attention is drawn to the characters playing a game of nine pin. This painting is interesting because it depicts a popular fair. The fair was a common theme in the nineteenth century. You can learn more about similar paintings at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

This painting portrays Lansdown Fair, an annual event held just outside Bath, capturing the lively scene with attention to detail. The central composition is framed by light clouds, directing focus to figures in the left foreground engaged in a game of ninepins, some modeled after local Bath residents. The upright central figure is identified as John Palmer, a Bath resident. The work was exhibited at the British Institution in 1813 and later acquired by Sir William Cockburn before entering the collection of Charles T. Maud in 1871.

Read the full account in the museum source.