This watercolour relates to a seres of large panel paintings commissioned by the industrialist Sir Walter Thevelyan for the central hall of his home, Wallington Hall in Northumberland. Iron and Coal celebrates the region’s thriving industries. The interlinked activities of coal mining, ironwork, shipbuilding, and the railways are depicted in the picture, while the figure in the foreground signals the benefits of industrial prosperity to local people. The artist said: ‘Everything of the common labour, life and applied science of the day is introduced somehow…’

The workmen in the foreground were employed by Hawks, Crawshay & Sons. An earlier iteration of this company that provided the engines for the Temeraire’s tugs, Samson and London, earlier in the century. The firm also built the Tyne’s High Level Bridge.

Provenance: Victoria and Albert Museum

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne & Wear
Material: Watercolour on paper
Artist: William Bell Scott (1811-1890)
Date: 1857-61

Image Details
Date: 19 June 2024
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Wide Camera 26mm ƒ/1.8
Focal Length: 26mm
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/25s
ISO: 400
Licensing: Image of a National Gallery asset. This image cannot be licensed.