Hillslap 

This pencil sketch, Hillslap, was created by David Roberts, a Scottish artist known for his detailed architectural depictions. Roberts, born in Scotland in the late 18th century, lived in a society marked by significant industrial and social change. His early life as a painter and decorator likely influenced his later meticulous approach to architectural art. Hillslap, with its delicate rendering of the ruined tower, evokes a sense of longing for Scotland’s past. What does it mean to represent a ruin? Is it to mourn lost power, lost lives? How might the act of drawing an old place be a way to reckon with ideas of Scottish identity, class, and gender at a time when the country was rapidly changing? Roberts’ work offers us a chance to think about how we engage with histories of place, belonging, and the passage of time.