Despite the name, Thomas Barker of Bath was actually born in Monmouthshire, Wales. From an early age, he demonstrated a canny ability for drawing landscapes and figures, which was probably aided by his father who was also a painter.

At sixteen, the family moved to Bath and he trained under the patronage of coach-builder, Charles Spackman. This gave him the opportunity to study the Dutch and Flemish masters.

His career flourished and he became a prolific exhibitor at the Royal Academy and the British Institution. Today, there are six works by Barker currently in the Tate Gallery, while The British Museum holds several drawings.