Samuel Bough was born in Carlisle where he first received lessons at an Academy run by the amateur painter John Dobson. He moved to London where he was a pupil of a topographical artist Thomas Allom. When he returned to Carlisle he made topographical drawings for a local bookseller.
In 1845 he moved to Manchester where he worked as a scene painter at the Theatre Royal. Between 1848-1855 Bough worked in Glasgow and his work was accepted by the Scottish Royal Academy. He made working trips to the Cadzow Forest at this time. Bough worked in Edinburgh from 1856-1876 and during this period he visited Norway and the Rhineland. Bough concentrated on Scottish subjects, using a bold technique to create effects of light as well as mists, rain, sleet and snow with sunsets and sunrises.
By mixing his oils with plenty of turpentine, he created the translucency of watercolours. He developed a technique of broken colours to capture the atmosphere of the landscape. He was said to be argumentative and often abusive but he also had a more introspective side to his character. He was scholarly and well read. One of his greatest friends was the novelist Louis Stevenson.
