Gainsborough in Bath (The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art)

When Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) arrived in the spa town of Bath, at the age of 31, he was an artist of modest reputation. When he left 16 years later, he had completed such major works as The Blue Boy and Peasants Going to Market and was recognized as one of Europe's foremost painters. In this study, Susan Sloman examines how this transformation took place. She offers a view of Gainsborough's development during his middle years as well as information about Bath and its role, for a few decades in the 18th century, as a cultural centre of Europe.