(From Sketchbook)

Art Historical Context

This lively sketchbook page by Thomas Sully, a leading American portraitist active in the early 19th century, captures quick studies of men, women, horses in ink and wash on paper. Dating from 1810–20, it measures a modest 9 x 11½ inches and hails from Sully's Philadelphia studio, where he honed his craft amid the young nation's cultural flowering. Sully, influenced by British masters like Sir Joshua Reynolds, blended neoclassical poise with emerging Romantic vitality, and these sketches reveal his fluid hand at work—wash adding soft tonal depth to define forms and movement. As a preparatory drawing, it offers a rare glimpse into Sully's creative process, far from the polished oils of his famous portraits of figures like Queen Victoria or Thomas Jefferson. Equestrian motifs were popular in American art of the era, symbolizing status, adventure, and the expansive frontier spirit. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, acquired via the Rogers Fund in 1953, this piece underscores everyday artistic experimentation in a time when portraiture defined national identity. Visitors will appreciate how such intimate sketches humanize a master painter, bridging the gap between raw idea and grand canvas.

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...