An infrared camera revealed drawings and modifications made by British artist Richard Andsel while painting his painting “The Pursued Slaves” in 1861, providing a new glimpse into the work that was linked to the issue of the abolition of slavery and the American Civil War.
Restoration work on a nineteenth-century painting revealed details that had remained hidden for more than 160 years, after an infrared camera showed preliminary drawings and modifications made by the British artist Richard Andsel during the stages of implementing his work “The Hunted Slaves.”
The painting dates back to 1861, when Andsel painted it in the city of Liverpool, and it is currently undergoing conservation and restoration work as part of a group of artworks, coinciding with the closure of the International Slavery Museum in the city for extensive development, to be reopened, according to current plans, in 2029. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
It is difficult to pass the painting without stopping to look. It is more than three meters wide, and close to two meters high, and depicts a man and a woman facing a group of hunting dogs, while broken chains hang from the man’s hand, in a scene that clearly indicates their escape from slavery.
But what the eye does not see on the surface of the painting has been revealed by modern technology.
While cleaning the work, the restorers used an infrared digital camera, which showed lines, preliminary drawings, and changes Andsel made to the details of the scene during the work. David Crombie, the museum's chief conservator, said that these images were "extremely useful" in understanding the way the artist worked, and how the painting developed from its first idea to its final form.
Among the surprises revealed by the camera is that the large ax carried by the man was not in its original design as it appears today. Its handle was longer and its blade was shorter. Preliminary drawing lines have also appeared outlining the shapes of the hounds, giving restorers and specialists a rare opportunity to follow the artist’s steps as he built the scene and reset its elements.
“The Pursued Slaves” was not just a dramatic scene; It came to life at one of the most turbulent moments in American history. In 1861, the American Civil War broke out, amid an intense conflict over slavery, and it is believed that Andsel's painting expressed his sympathy for the northern states that were anti-slavery in the face of the Confederate states that supported it.
That war, although it took place on the other side of the Atlantic, was strongly present in the lives of the British. Its effects extended to Lancashire, where the textile industry faced a severe crisis due to the difficulty of American cotton reaching factories as a result of the naval blockade imposed by Union forces on the Confederate states.
In the midst of these circumstances, Andsel took a remarkable step: He held a raffle on the board with the aim of raising money to help textile factory workers who lost their jobs due to the crisis. The painting was won by a Liverpool dealer named Gilbert Winter Moss, who later donated it to Liverpool City Council.
However, the story of the work contains a historical irony that is difficult to ignore.
Moss's father had received more than £40,000 in compensation under the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, a law that freed enslaved people in most parts of the British Empire, but at the same time granted financial compensation to slave owners for their "loss" of ownership of the enslaved.
Thus, a painting that was created to express rejection of slavery, and to raise money to help workers affected by the war that slavery played a pivotal role in sparking, ended up in the possession of a person whose family’s wealth was linked, albeit indirectly, to the very system that the painting criticizes.
A spokeswoman for the National Museums in Liverpool said that this paradox makes the work more complex than just a painting carrying an anti-slavery message, explaining that the painting “also embodies how museums and other institutions have historically benefited from the patronage of people who made their fortunes from enslavement.”
After the restoration work is completed, “The Hunted Slaves” will return to its frame, and will be equipped with low-reflection laminated glass to protect it and allow its details to be seen more clearly.
Perhaps these hidden details will give the painting a new life. After more than a century and a half, its story is no longer limited to what the artist wanted the public to see, but also includes what the drawing hid on its surface, and what technology today reveals about the moments of hesitation, change, and choice that accompanied the birth of the work.
Claims that a Scottish civil servant attended a training course wearing a robe, cat ears and a tail have sparked a debate about appearance codes and working culture within the Scottish government.
Reports carried by The Telegraph stated that the employee, a man whose identity was not revealed and who works for the Scottish government, wore “a robe, cat ears and a tail,” during a recent training session.
These allegations were circulated on social media, which were supported by a former Scottish government official, along with another user who confirmed the incident in a response to the post.
Murray Michael, who recently left the Scottish government after a long career, said he had also heard about the incident, and described the institution as “completely dysfunctional.”
Under the code of conduct that governs the work of civil servants, they must “conduct themselves in a professional manner that commands the confidence of all those with whom they deal.” These rules also include “dress and appearance.”
In a statement, the Scottish government refused to confirm or deny the allegations, but said that wearing a cat costume did not meet the requirements of the code of conduct.
The culture of civil servants is out of control
The incident comes amid growing concerns about the working culture within the Scottish government, as well as ongoing controversy over the decline in the numbers of civil servants reporting to their offices.
The Scottish Conservatives' spokesman for public service reform, Murdo Fraser, said: "This confirms that the culture within the SNP's army of civil servants is out of control, and some individuals believe they can get away with anything."
He added: “Such behavior would not be acceptable in any other workplace, so the SNP Civil Service should be no different.”
A social media post about the alleged incident said: “My friend in the Scottish Government says a man came to Victoria Quay to take part in a training course, wearing a dress, cat ears and a cat tail. “I hope this story is made up.”
Michael, who previously worked as a team leader and media advisor in the Scottish Government, responded: “I heard about this. In the Scottish government these days, commenting on such matters could be a career-ending decision.”
He added: “I left this year, and I’m glad I did.” “It is an absolutely embarrassing institution, and yet it is our government.”
In response to the original post, another social media user said: “I can confirm that this person does exist.”
Another post on the “X” platform said: “Managers who have lost the ability to recognize the normal behavior of employees in the workplace, or who lack the courage to impose this, should simply resign.”
Civil servants in Scotland are expected to work from their offices for at least two days out of five working days, but there are no penalties for failure to do so.
However, the daily attendance of employees of key departments in the Scottish government at the Victoria Quay building did not exceed 12 percent on Wednesdays, from December 17, 2025 to January 7, 2026. The building provides about 1,250 work offices.
A Scottish government spokesman said: “All civil servants are required to dress appropriately for work, and the clothing described in these allegations does not meet this requirement.”
A sea eagle that has baffled experts by being able to survive until adulthood, despite suffering a severe fracture in one of its wings, has been spotted flying again in the skies of the west coast of Scotland.
The RSPB Society for the Protection of Birds and Wildlife named the bird the “Miracle Eagle” on the Isle of Mull, after it fell from its nest as a chick during a storm in 2023.
The BBC reported that experts monitoring the numbers of sea eagles on the island did not expect the male chick to survive, but it has now been seen, three years later, flying over the island, while the distinctive bend in its broken wing is still evident.
Retired RSPB official, who has worked with sea eagles on the island for more than 20 years, Dave Sexton, described the sighting of the bird as “amazing.”
The bird, whose fans called it “Kinky” because of the bend in its broken wing, had received care from its parents, who showed unusual interest in it until it recovered.
In exceptional parental behavior, the parents, who are white-tailed eagles, gave up an entire breeding season to continue caring for their young, who had just reached one year of age.
But the most recent sighting of the bird reveals that it has managed to get through its first winter on its own.
His photo was taken while flying over Loch Spliff, a marine lake located on the south-eastern coast of the Isle of Mull.
“I'm in awe of this bird,” Dave Sexton said. But the next stage of the eagle's life, which Sexton described as a "full subadult" stage, may be more dangerous.
He explained: “The adult families settled in the area will no longer tolerate it because it is an immature bird, and it may be exposed to behavior of the type: ‘You are not welcome here,’ which is behavior that can be very cruel at times.”
He continued: “But (Kinki) is a natural survivor; “I have every hope for him.”
Sea eagles, also known as white-tailed eagles, had been hunted to extinction in the United Kingdom, and the last white-tailed eagle of the native breed in the United Kingdom was shot in the Shetland Islands in 1918, according to the association.
A project to reintroduce these birds to Scotland began in 1975, and since then they have become a stable species that breeds within a population capable of supporting itself. These eagles returned to the Island of Mull in the 1980s, and today they are part of the island’s wildlife.
