Portrait of the Artist
1821
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
17 1/8 x 14 in. (43.5 x 35.6 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Rosa C. Stanfield, in memory of her father, Henry Robinson, 1894
Accession Number
94.23.3
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
This self-portrait shows the artist turning to look at the viewer, brush in hand, as if momentarily interrupted in his work. Thomas Sully painted this intimate oil on canvas for his host in Baltimore, Maryland, the broker Henry Robinson, beginning the work on May 8, 1821, and completing it just one week later on May 15, according to his meticulously kept register. The painting measures seventeen and one-eighth by fourteen inches, a modest scale appropriate for a personal gift. The composition em...
Art Historical Context
Thomas Sully's *Portrait of the Artist*1821) captures a candid moment of creative interruption: the painter turns from his easel, brush in hand, to meet the viewer's gaze. This intimate self-portrait, executed in oil on canvas and measuring just 17⅛ × 14 inches, was a personal gift for his Baltimore host, broker Henry Robinson. Sully began the work on May 8 finished it remarkably within a week, as noted in his detailed register—a testament to his swift, masterful technique. Born in England in 1783, Sully became one of America's premier portraitists after naturalizing in 1809 and settling in Philadelphia. Influenced by his London studies with Benjamin West, he adopted the classic self-portrait trope of the artist at work, blending refined brushwork with flattering realism. Over six decades, Sully produced around 2,600 paintings, serving elite sitters and cementing his status in early American art. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1894 by Mrs. Rosa C. Stanfield in memory of her father, Henry Robinson, this piece retains its original personal connection. Housed in The American Wing, it exemplifies the era's burgeoning American identity through portraiture, inviting visitors to glimpse a prolific artist's daily world.
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...