About this artwork

Sandby was one of the first artists to record scenes of industrial activity. This drawing shows men moving a large boulder to allow for the building of a new road. After the first Jacobite uprising of 1715 new roads were built in the Highlands to enable rapid movement of troops. A programme of road building was instigated initially under George Wade. He supervised the construction of 240 miles of roads across the Highlands, an ambitious programme of road and bridge building not undertaken since the days of the Roman Empire in Britain. These “military” roads opened up Scotland and were a great economic benefit to the country allowing goods to be easily transported as part of Scotland’s Industrial Revolution.

Updated before 2020

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Paul Sandby

Paul Sandby