Storm clouds gather overhead as a drover and packhorses transport metal ore from a mine in Wales. The dark reds and rustic browns suggest an autumn scene. Metal has been mined here on a small-scale for centuries, and became even more common in the eighteenth century as the industrial revolution took hold and changed the face of the Welsh landscape. The gathering storm clouds and the rugged landscape seems to hint at a tense relationship between nature and industry, and the difficulties faced in the endeavour to exploit natural resources. Technical analysis of the painting has shown some visible underdrawing, and it is likely that Jones painted this at least partly on the spot, perhaps later working it up in his studio. The work has been dated to around 1775, a time when the Welsh landscape was his greatest source of inspiration, and the inclusion of industrial imagery makes it unique among his surviving paintings. This painting was discovered by Miles Wynn Cato, who was also responsible for the research from which this information was drawn. The probable date and attribution to Jones was confirmed by Greg Smith, co-editor of the 2003 Thomas Jones catalogue.