Eagle (from Sketchbook)
1810–20
Medium
Ink, wash, on paper
Dimensions
9 x 11 1/2 in. (22.9 x 29.2 cm)
Classification
Drawing
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.182.70 recto
Tags
About this artwork
Thomas Sully's elegant eagle study exemplifies the methodical artistic practice of early American artists seeking to master European techniques while developing a native visual vocabulary. Executed in ink and wash during the decade 1810–1820, this drawing comes from a sketchbook Sully began maintaining after his transformative year of study in London. On July 16, 1810, he inscribed the first sheet: "Sketches from different Masters," signaling his intention to learn from European precedents. The ...
About the Artist
Thomas Sully · 1783–1872
Thomas Sully, born on June 19, 1783, in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England, to actor parents Matthew Sully and Sarah Chester, emigrated with his family to Charleston, South Carolina, in 1792. Raised in a theatrical environment, young Thomas debuted as a tumbler at age 11 before discovering his artistic talent. He studied miniature painting with his brother Lawrence Sully, brother-in-law Jean Belzon...