Volume 11 Issue 1 » 69
Energized, we saunter upward to view
John Wood, the Elder’s architectural
masterpiece. Influenced by Italian Andrea
Palladio, The Circus comprises three
arcs forming a circle of ionic-columned
townhouses. His elegantly designed
Assembly Rooms lie a few blocks away.
In the gloriously restored Ball Room,
Tea Room, Octagon and Card Room, we
imagine England’s glitterati at fashionable
dances, recitals and tea parties all in
attendance.
Promenading through Victoria Park’s
Georgian gardens, we sight Royal Crescent,
another splendid arc of high-rent beauties
this time created by Wood’s son. There are
extensive lawns surrounding the building
where Irish MP, Henry Sandford, resided
in No. 1 from 1776-1796. Once inside,
ornate rooms and furnishings recall his
family’s extravagant lifestyle. In a hallway,
period cartoons lampoon high society’s
healthful intentions and unhealthy
indulgences: excessive eating, drinking and
gambling.
History surrounds all corners of Bath
where two centuries-old museums further
illustrate this era. The upper gallery at
the Victoria Art Gallery highlights city
artists. A proud docent explains, “Artists
like Turner ventured here; others, like
Gainsborough stayed, earning excellent
commissions for portraits.” The painter’s
work skillfully portrays men in waistcoats,
pantaloons and top hats, as well as stylish,
well-coiffed women in lustrous dresses.
We cross the River Avon on shop-lined
Pulteney Bridge, reminiscent of Florence’s
Ponte Vecchio. Heading through another
Georgian-style neighbourhood, we make
our way to the Holburne Museum of Art.
Once a stylish hotel, the museum retains
a classical 1796 façade. Inside we view Sir
Holburne’s 19th-century curio collection,
including porcelain from Wedgewood’s
local shop and exotic oriental luxuries.
A large painting captures Bath’s classic
features. In the gallery, Gainsborough’s
famed Byam Family depicts a bewigged
George, bejeweled wife Louisa and
daughter Selina. Its leafy background
conveys their heritage as wealthy East
Indies plantation owners.
Exiting into Sidney Gardens, we pass a
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