Two Seated Figures; One Sleeping Figure; Standing Man Leaning on Ship Railing (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
53.182.63 verso
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the early 19th century, artist Thomas Sully, renowned for his elegant portraits influenced by British masters like Sir Joshua Reynolds, filled his sketchbooks with quick, expressive studies of the human figure. This page from one such sketchbook, dated 1810–20, captures four men in casual poses: two seated figures one sleeping figure, and a standing man leaning thoughtfully on a ship railing. Rendered in ink and wash on paper (9 x 11½ inches), it exemplifies Sully's fluid draftsmanship during a prolific period when he worked primarily in Philadelphia after his formative years in London. Th...
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...