A View of the Parade at Bath c. 1780 - 1790

This hand-colored etching entitled "A View of the Parade at Bath” was created by an anonymous artist. It presents an image of leisure and social interaction during the late 18th century in the English spa town of Bath. At this time, Bath was a popular destination for the British upper class seeking social connections and health remedies, and the artwork offers a window into the period’s class dynamics. The figures are caricatured, with exaggerated costumes and expressions, emphasizing the ridiculousness of high society. The print also subtly touches on themes of labor and disability through the figures pushing a disabled person in a wheelchair and a child pulling a wheelbarrow. The anonymity of the artist raises questions about their position and intentions. Were they an insider mocking their own class, or an outsider looking in with judgment? Regardless, the image encourages us to think about how we perform identity, and how those performances uphold or subvert existing hierarchies.