Portrait of a Cleric; Standing Man in Animal Skins; Portrait of a Woman; Man's Head (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, 1954
Accession Number
53.182.81 recto
Tags
Art Historical Context
This lively sketchbook page by Thomas Sully, a leading American portraitist of the early 19th century, four distinct studies from around 1810–20: a *Portrait of a Cleric a *Standing Man in Skins*, a * of a Woman*, and *Man's Head*.ly, known for his elegant portraits of American elites and his neoclassical influences from British masters like Sir Joshua Reynolds, often filled such notebooks with rapid preparatory drawings. These works, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, offer a glimpse into his creative process during the vibrant Federal era, when portraiture celebrated indi...
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...