Celebrities, musicians, actors and artists of Georgian Bath come under a new spotlight when an exhibition dedicated to their stories opens at the Victoria Art Gallery.

From the sleazy to the sophisticated, ‘Entertainment in Bath’ looks at performers and events in the city since its Georgian heyday through to its Victorian past and more recently Bath Festival and infamous pop concerts.

In the 18th century, Bath was second only to London for the remarkable quality and variety of music, art and theatre on offer. Performers would come to the city to entertain the wealthy spa visitors. Here they would develop their skills, and attract a following and a good reputation before moving on to further fame and fortune in London.

Wonderful portraits by Gainsborough, Bath’s best painter at the time, and works by the Georgian comic artist, Thomas Rowlandson, will feature in the exhibition.

Highlights from the gallery’s own collection of paintings, drawings and prints will be on show, alongside important loans from the Royal Collection, loaned by Her Majesty The Queen, and the National Portrait Gallery.

The free exhibition runs from Saturday, 13th January to Wednesday, 14th March 2018.