(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
53.182.83 recto
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate ink and wash sketch from Thomas Sul's sketchbook, created between 1810 and 1820, offers a glimpse into the renowned American portraitist's preparatory process. Sully (1783–1872), a leading figure in early 19th-century American, was celebrated for his elegant, Romantic-style portraits influenced by British masters like Sir Joshua Reynolds. Working primarily in Philadelphia after emigrating from England, he filled sketchbooks like this one with fluid studies that honed his mastery of light, form, and expression. Rendered on a modest 9 x 11½-inch sheet of paper, the drawing capture...
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...