Standing Woman; Child Leaning by a Fishbowl; Weeping Putto; Mounted Soldier; Kicking Horse and Fallen Rider; Half-length Seated Figure; Rowboat (from Sketchbook)

Art Historical Context

Thomas Sully's *Standing Woman; Child Leaning a Fishbowl; We Putto; Mounted Soldier; Kicking Horse and Fallen; Half-length Seated Figure; Rowboat (frombook)*, created between 1810 and 1820, offers a captivating glimpse into the working process of one of America's foremost portrait painters. Sully, a British-born artist who emigrated to Philadelphia and became a leading figure in early 19th-century American art, was renowned for his elegant portraits influenced by English masters like Sir Joshua Reynolds. This ink and wash drawing on paper, measuring 9 x 11½ inches, captures a lively assortment of studies from his sketchbook, reflecting the neoclassical and emerging Romantic interests of the era. The page brims with diverse motifs: a poised standing woman, a child peering into a fishbowl, a sorrowful putto (a chubby infant figure from classical mythology), dynamic equestrian scenes with a kicking horse and tumbling rider, a mounted soldier, a half-length seated figure, and even a serene rowboat. These quick, fluid sketches in ink and translucent wash demonstrate Sully's mastery of line and tone, techniques ideal for rapid ideation before committing to oil paintings. Such preparatory works highlight the artist's versatility, blending portraiture with genre scenes and dramatic action—hallmarks of Romanticism's emphasis on emotion and movement. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing (Rogers Fund, 1953), this piece underscores Sully's role in shaping American visual culture during a time of national growth, inviting visitors to appreciate the spontaneous creativity behind polished masterpieces.

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...