The Romans cause a Wall to be built for the Protection of the South (One...

William Bell Scott (Edinburgh 1811 - Penkill Castle 1890). Oil painting on canvas, The Romans cause a Wall to be built for the Protection of the South, by William Bell Scott (Edinburgh 1811 - Penkill Castle 1890), signed and dated, bottom right: W B Scott Jan to June 1857. The background of the picture represents Crag Lough, a high basalt cliff shown with the wall stretching off into the distance along its ridge. The wall is being constructed by a team of men drawn from all areas of the Roman Empire. In the foreground a centurion confronts two workers who have stopped to boil water and are trying to conceal a game of dice. Some of the figures are portraits of recognisable local personalities; one of the soldiers on the rampart is Dr. Bruce, a great authority on the Wall, and the centurion is John Clayton who purchased large tracts to protect them from being torn down for building stone during the 19th Century. One of a series of eight oil paintings illustrating the history of the English Border painted between 1856 and 1861. Wallington, Northumberland (Accredited Museum)