Bach studied painting at the academy of Dresden, a student of Julius Hübner, and came to London in 1862. He travelled to Italy, Bohemia and Egypt, and his subjects were usually peasant folk, young and old. In oils his effects were enamelled and glossy, but it seems that Bach preferred watercolours, in which he excelled at depicting textures of cloth and translucent skin. Three years after his arrival in London, Bach was made Associate Member of the Institute of Painters in Watercolours. Although uneven, at his best he displayed a wonderfully delicate technique.