Artist's drawings found under anti-slavery painting

A special camera has revealed how a 19th century painting with an anti-slavery message changed during its creation.

The Hunted Slaves, created in 1861 by Liverpool artist Richard Andsell, is among art exhibits undergoing conservation work as the city's International Slavery Museum is shut for a major revamp.

The painting is more than 10ft (3m) wide and almost 6.5ft (2m) high and shows a man and woman fighting a pack of dogs, with broken chains hanging from the man's hand, implying they had escaped slavery.

Conservators, who are cleaning the surface of the artwork, said an infrared camera had shown the artist's drawing changes which was "incredibly helpful" for understanding the work.

Andsell raffled off The Hunted Slaves to raise cash to support unemployed mill workers, with the winner later donating it to Liverpool Town Hall.

The museum's lead conservator David Crombie said: "We have looked at the painting with our digital infrared camera for the first time which has revealed several drawing changes that the artist made during painting.

"The large axe held by the male figure originally had a longer handle and a shorter blade.

"There is also interesting line drawing defining the shapes of the hunting dogs. These kind of details are incredibly helpful to our understanding of the work."

The piece was produced during the American Civil War and is understood to express support for the anti-slavery northern United States, a spokeswoman for National Museums Liverpool said.

The conflict, with the pro-slavery Confederacy, had an impact on this side of the Atlantic where Lancashire's textile industries were unable to import cotton because of a naval blockade.

Andsell's raffle was won by Liverpool merchant, Gilbert Winter Moss, whose father had received more than £40,000 compensation under the terms of the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act, and the painting was donated to Liverpool Town Council.

A museum spokeswoman said: "Despite the painting's anti-slavery intent, the Hunted Slaves exemplifies how museums and other institutions have historically benefitted from patronage by people who got rich through enslavement."

Once conservation work on the painting has been finished, it will be put back into its frame and fitted with low reflective, laminated glass.

The International Slavery Museum is expected to reopen in 2029.

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