English Eccentrics and Eccentricities, 1875
Likely this young man was interested in being a garden or ornamental hermit. These hermits lived in hermitages, follies, grottoes or rockeries on the estates of wealthy land owners and were most common in the 18th century, although purportedly occurred as early as the 15th century. These contemplative spaces, complete with a wise, retiring figure, were meant to combat the new activity of industrialization and fill the gap from the much early suppression of monks, nuns, and other meditative holy persons. Hermit were also featured widely in eighteenth century literature, inspiring a new generation of gentry to build these gardens of tranquility (http://www.hermitary.com/lore/ornamental_hermits.html).
Garden gnomes are thought to be derived from the hermit tradition.
There is a book written in the last decade about this topic if you are interested in learning more:
