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Student Artwork Guide

The Douglas Children

John Hoppner

Name Class Date
John Hoppner, The Douglas Children. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
John Hoppner originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/john-hoppner/
Artist’s dates
1758 – 1810

Copyright This work is in the public domain. John Hoppner died in 1810; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1880.

Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Sept. 24, 2026

The Douglas Children — John Hoppner Part 1 · The artwork

In context

The Douglas Children — John Hoppner

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1750
  2. 1760
  3. 1770
  4. 1780
  5. 1790
  6. 1800
  7. 1810

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 52 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of John Hoppner (1758–1810) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1793 Main working years: 1793–1800 Late works: from 1800

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/john-hoppner-the-douglas-children-9CWJU6-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Walnut #5e3a18

    Catalogued palette

    • #5E3A18
    • #2B1D0C
    • #D1B167
    • #987840

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Walnut
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by John Hoppner over the last twelve months — 11 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 72.0%
    2. 2 Ecuador 5.3%
    3. 3 Hong Kong 5.3%
    4. 4 United States of America 5.3%
    5. 5 Brazil 2.7%
    6. 6 Singapore 2.7%
    7. 7 Argentina 1.3%
    8. 8 Costa Rica 1.3%
    9. 9 France 1.3%
    10. 10 United Kingdom 1.3%
    11. · 1 other countries 1.5%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by John Hoppner

    1. 1 Matthew Raine 12.8%
    2. 2 Girl With A Rabbit 3.8%
    3. 3 A Worshipful Master 3.8%
    4. 4 Elizabeth James Parkyns, 1794 2.6%
    5. 5 IOSEPH HAYDEN, M.D. Oxon., 1791 2.6%
    6. 6 Henry Langford (1758–1800), 1800 2.6%
    7. 7 Henry Augustus Dillon Lee (1777–1832), 13th Viscount Dillon of Costello Gallin 2.6%
    8. 8 Jacob Pleydell-bouverie 2.6%
    9. 9 General The Honourable Frederick St John 2.6%
    10. 10 Admiral Adam Duncan 2.6%
    11. 11 The Frankland Sisters, 1795 2.6%
    12. 12 Untitled (D2X748), 1805 2.6%
    13. 13 The Honourable Reverend Henry Cockayne Cust 2.6%
    14. 14 Thomas Williams, 1800 1.3%
    15. 15 Maria Wilson (1772–1852), Lady Trevelyan, 1791 1.3%
    16. 16 The Right Honourable William Windham (1750–1810), MP for Norwich, 1804 1.3%
    17. 17 Sir Giles Rooke (1743–1808) 1.3%
    18. 18 Portrait Of The Frankland Sisters 1.3%
    19. 19 The Douglas Children this painting 1.3%
    20. 20 Lady Staunton With Her Son George Thomas Staunton And A Chinese Servant 1.3%

    Together these works take 55.5% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 260 works by this artist, of which 55 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 19 of them, with 1.3% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Sept. 24, 2026

    The Douglas Children — John Hoppner Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    John Hoppner

    Born in Whitechapel, United Kingdom

    a life of artistry and royal patronage

    john hoppner, a prominent english portrait painter, left an indelible mark on the art world with his vibrant colour palette. born in whitechapel, london, in 1758 to german parents, hoppner's life was marked by royal patronage and artistic brilliance.

    early life and training

    at a young age, hoppner became a chorister at the royal chapel, but his inclination towards art led him to enter the royal academy in 1775.

    in 1778, he received a silver medal for drawing from life, and in 1782, the gold medal for historical painting with his work on king lear.

    rise to fame and notable works

    john hoppner's portraits of women and children were deemed his most successful works by competent judges. his touch, characterized by breadth and freedom, gave his paintings a faint reflection of the charm of reynolds. notable works include:

    mrs jordan as viola in 'twelfth night', now at english heritage (london, united kingdom), showcasing his mastery over portrait painting.

    his portraits of the prince of wales, the duke and duchess of york, lord rodney, and lord nelson, which were hung in the state apartments at st james's palace, demonstrate his high societal connections.

    legacy and later life

    john hoppner's life was marked by a chronic liver disease. he died on january 23, 1810. despite this, his legacy endures through his vibrant portraits that continue to captivate art lovers.

    explore more of john hoppner's works at https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/johnhoppner.

    discover the broader context of british art at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/art_of_the_united_kingdom.

    further reading and exploration

    for a deeper dive into the world of british art, consider the following:

    discovering the artworks of dyrham park, united kingdom

    sir edwin landseer lutyens, an english architect known for his imaginative adaptations.

    Where to read more

    • The artist John Hoppner originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/john-hoppner/
    • Similar works More works to compare originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/john-hoppner-the-douglas-children-9CWJU6-en/

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for The Douglas Children

    originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/john-hoppner-the-douglas-children-9CWJU6-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Hoppner, John. The Douglas Children. n.d., https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/john-hoppner-the-douglas-children-9CWJU6-en/
    APA
    Hoppner, John (n.d.). The Douglas Children [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/john-hoppner-the-douglas-children-9CWJU6-en/
    Chicago
    John Hoppner. The Douglas Children. n.d. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/john-hoppner-the-douglas-children-9CWJU6-en/
    Harvard
    Hoppner, John (n.d.) The Douglas Children. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/john-hoppner-the-douglas-children-9CWJU6-en/

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Sept. 24, 2026

    The Douglas Children — John Hoppner Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    The Douglas Children — John Hoppner

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: children. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Richard Humphreys, the Boxer, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. What might the artist have wanted you to feel?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Sept. 24, 2026

    The Douglas Children — John Hoppner Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    How do contrast and harmony combine in "The Douglas Children"?

    In "The Douglas Children", a statement contrast is paired with a strong color unity harmony.

    What colors dominate "The Douglas Children" by John Hoppner?

    The color identity of "The Douglas Children" by John Hoppner: an earthy palette, dominated by walnut (#5e3a18).

    Do the colors of "The Douglas Children" appear strong or soft?

    The colors in "The Douglas Children" by John Hoppner have a balanced intensity.