Seated Woman Holding Baby; Ionic Porch and Balustrade, Three Fleeting Figures (from Rubens Massacre of Innocents? Or Allegory of War) (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, 1953
Accession Number
53.182.14 recto
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the quiet intimacy of Thomas Sully's sketchbook from around 1810–20, we encounter *Seated Woman Holding Baby Ionic Porch and Balade, Three Fleeting*. This delicate ink and wash drawing on paper, measuring 9 x 11½ inches, captures a tender maternal moment amid architectural elements and elusive figures. Sully, a leading American portraitist of the early 19th century, often drew from European masters, and the title hints at inspiration from Peter Paul Rubens' dramatic *Massacre of the Innocents* or an of war—evoking themes of innocence and vulnerability tagged with "Infants" and "Mothers." R...
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...