Hercules and Antoneus; Fall of Phaetor (Icarus?); Classical Architecture; Sacrifice of Isaac [?] (after Rembrandt?) (from Sketchbook)
1810–20
![Hercules and Antoneus; Fall of Phaetor (Icarus?); Classical Architecture; Sacrifice of Isaac [?] (after Rembrandt?) (from Sketchbook) by Thomas Sully](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/ad/thumb/hercules-and-antoneus-fall-of-phaetor-icarus-16349.webp)
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
53.182.16 verso
Tags
Art Historical Context
This lively sketchbook page from Thomas Sully's hand, dated around 1810–20, captures the imagination of a burgeoning American artist drawing from classical mythology, biblical narratives, and architectural grandeur. Titled *Hercules and Antus; Fall of Phaetor (Icarus?); Classical Architecture; Sacrifice of [?] (after Rembrandt)*, it features multiple vignettes: the muscular struggle of Hercules with his foe, the dramatic plunge of Phaeton (perhaps evoking Icarus's fateful flight), stately classical ruins, and a possible echo of Rembrandt's poignant *Sacrifice of Isaac*. Rendered in ink and was...
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...