William Hawker Hughes

William Hawker Hughes was painted by Solomon Joseph Solomon in 1914, the same year as the artist's royal commission for King George V — a coincidence that illustrates the range of Solomon's practice, moving in the same year between the highest level of state portraiture and a more private individual commission. Without detailed records of Hughes, the portrait represents the large category of Solomon's output commissioned by private individuals seeking a permanent record of their standing and identity. The National Portrait Gallery's acquisition of the work reflects the institution's interest in documenting British society across all classes of the significant rather than restricting itself to the famous. Solomon's mature technique by 1914 could be relied upon to produce a confident, psychologically engaged likeness from any sitter.

The 1914 canvas would reflect Solomon's fully developed mature technique: efficient yet expressive brushwork in the costume, carefully layered flesh tones in the face, and the confident spatial placement of a sitter within a neutral or draped background.