Study of the Queen's Robes (Study for Portrait of Queen Victoria)
ca. 1838
Medium
Graphite on paper
Dimensions
9 1/16 x 7 3/8 in. (23 x 18.7 cm)
Classification
Drawing
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Brooke Russell Astor Bequest, Louis V. Bell Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Chilton Jr. and Anthony W. and Lulu C. Wang Gifts, and funds from various donors, in honor of Morrison H. Heckscher, 2021
Accession Number
2021.231
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the grand tradition of 19th-century portraiture, Thomas Sully's *Study of the Queen's Rob (Study for Portrait of Victoria)*, created around 1838, offers a glimpse into the meticulous preparation behind one of the era's most regal commissions. Sully, a American portraitist known for his elegant, Romantic style infused with luminous color and dramatic flair, traveled to England that year for private sittings with the newly crowned 19-year-old Queen Victoria This graphite drawing captures the intricate folds and textures of her royal attire, serving as a vital preparatory study for the full-sc...
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...