Artwork
Stephen Henry Hough (1776 - after 1828)
Stephen Henry Hough (1776 - after 1828) is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist John Powell. It dates from 1794 and is held in the collection of the National Galleries Scotland.
About this work
Overview
John Powell’s 1794 oil painting, titled Stephen Henry Hough (1776 – after 1828), portrays a youthful figure against a natural backdrop. The work is part of the collection of the Scottish National Gallery, where it is displayed as an example of late‑18th‑century portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas shows a young boy with curly brown hair, dressed in an orange garment trimmed with a white collar and waistband, black shoes, and a white hat held in his right hand. His confident stance before a large rock, under a blue sky and verdant foliage, conveys a sense of youthful vigor and self‑assurance.
Technique & Style
Powell employs a clear contrast between the warm hues of the boy’s clothing and the cooler tones of the surrounding landscape. The brushwork renders the textures of fabric and stone with modest detail, while the atmospheric sky and greenery are suggested through softer, blended strokes, highlighting the figure’s prominence.
History & Provenance
Created in 1794, the portrait entered the Scottish National Gallery’s holdings at an unspecified date and remains in its collection. The painting’s title references the sitter’s lifespan (born 1776, recorded as living beyond 1828), though further biographical details are scarce.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Powell painted single oil portraits of British sitters in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Boy with a bird's nest
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John Tradescant III
Thomas Gray
A young draughtsman (1767)
Master Charles William Park
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Portrait of a Boy
Study for the Painting of Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and Albany, as a Child
John Walter (ou Wharton) Tempest
Portrait of F.P. Makerovsky in masquerade costume
Midshipman Augustus Brine