Thomas Sully (June 19, 1783November 5, 1872) was an American portrait painter in the United States. Born in Great Britain, he lived most of his life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He painted in the style of

Thomas Lawrence Sir Thomas Lawrence (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was an English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. A child prodigy, he was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was an innkeeper at t ...

. His subjects included national political leaders such as United States presidents: Thomas Jefferson,

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...

, and

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

, Revolutionary War hero General

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutio ...

, and many leading musicians and composers. In addition to portraits of wealthy patrons, he painted landscapes and historical pieces such as the 1819 ''

The Passage of the Delaware ''The Passage of the Delaware'' is a large, Neoclassical 1819 oil-on-canvas painting by Thomas Sully. With attention to historical accuracy, the painting depicts George Washington on horseback observing the troops of the American Revolutionary ...

''. His work was adapted for use on United States coinage.

Life and career

Early life

Sully was born in

Horncastle, Lincolnshire Horncastle is a town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district in Lincolnshire, east of Lincoln. Its population was 6,815 at the 2011 census and estimated at 7,123 in 2019. A section of the ancient Roman walls remains. History Romans ...

, England in 1783 to actors Matthew Sully and Sarah Chester. In March 1792, the Sullys and their nine children emigrated to

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint ...

, where Thomas's uncle Thomas Wade West managed a theater. Sully made his first appearance in the theater as a tumbler at the age of 11 in Charleston. After a brief apprenticeship to an insurance broker, who recognized his artistic talent, at about age 12 Sully began painting. He studied with his brother-in-law Jean Belzons (active 1794–1812), a French miniaturist, until they had a falling-out in 1799. Between 1801 and 1802, Sully lived in Norfolk, Virginia, the city from which his aunt Margaretta Sully West ran her theater and opera company.

Career as a painter

1819 Passage OfThe Delaware byThomasSully MFABoston

Sully became a professional painter at age 18 in 1801, while living in Norfolk, Virginia, with his brother Lawrence. By 1802, he and elder brother Lawrence Sully (1769–1804) changed their base to Richmond, Virginia, where they continued to work together. In 1805, Thomas Sully married his brother's widow, Sarah (Annis) Sully. He took on the rearing of Lawrence's children. Sully moved to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...

in 1806. The next year, he studied portrait painting under Gilbert Stuart in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...

for three weeks. By 1808, he had settled in Philadelphia, where he resided for the remainder of his life. In 1809 Sully traveled to London for nine months of study under the American

Benjamin West Benjamin West, (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as '' The Death of Nelson'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the '' Treaty of Paris'', and '' Benjamin Franklin Drawin ...

, who had established his painting career in Great Britain. Sully's 1824 portraits of

, who became President within the year, and the general

, appear to have brought him widespread recognition. His Adams portrait is held in the National Gallery of Art, Washington. Many notable Americans of the day had their portraits painted by him. In 1837–1838, he was in London to paint Queen Victoria at the request of Philadelphia's St. George's Society. His daughter Blanche assisted him as the Queen's "stand-in," modeling the Queen's costume when she was not available. One of Sully's portraits of Thomas Jefferson is owned by the

Jefferson Literary and Debating Society The Jefferson Literary and Debating Society (commonly known "Jeff Soc") is the oldest continuously existing collegiate debating society in North America, having been founded on July 14, 1825, in Room Seven, West Lawn. Named after founder of the U ...

at the University of Virginia and hangs in that school's rotunda. Another Jefferson portrait, this one head-to-toe, hangs at

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

, as does his portrait of General Alexander Macomb. Thomas_Sully,_Mrs

In Philadelphia Sully taught portrait painting to

Marcus Aurelius Root Marcus Aurelius Root (1808–1888) was a writing teacher and photographer. He was born in Granville, Ohio and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On 20 June 1846, he bought John Jabez Edwin Mayall's Chestnut Street photography studio that was in ...

, who later became an internationally successful daguerreotypist. Sully's records say that he produced 2,631 paintings from 1801, most of which are currently in the United States. His style resembles that of

.(cf. Rilla Evelyn Jackman "AMERICAN ARTS" 1928 pg. 61) Though best known as a portrait painter, Sully also made historical pieces and landscapes. An example of the former is the 1819 ''

'', now in the

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 paintings and more than 450,000 works ...

Personal life

Thomas and Sarah Sully had nine children together. Among the children were Alfred Sully, Mary Chester Sully (who married Sully's protégé, the painter John Neagle), Jane Cooper Sully (who married a Mr. Darley), Blanche Sully, Rosalie Sully, and Thomas Wilcocks Sully.

Professional Connections and Honors

Sully was one of the founding members of The Musical Fund Society in Philadelphia. He painted the portraits of many of the musicians and composers who were also members. In 1835, Sully was elected a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

Death and legacy

Sully died in Philadelphia on November 5, 1872 and was interred in Laurel Hill Cemetery. His book ''Hints to Young Painters'' was published posthumously. His paintings are held and displayed permanently in many of the world's leading art museums. Two of Sully's portraits hang in the chambers of the Dialectic and Philanthropic societies of the University of North Carolina. Portraits, including that of President James K. Polk, were commissioned of notable alumni from the Societies. The obverse design of the

United States Seated Liberty coinage The Seated Liberty portrait designs appeared on most regular-issue silver United States coinage from 1836 through 1891. The denominations which featured the Goddess of Liberty in a Seated Liberty design included the half dime, the dime, the quar ...

, which began with the Gobrecht dollar in 1836 and lasted until 1891, was based on his work. The Sully painting ''Portrait of Anna and Harriet Coleman'' was sold at auction in 2013 for $145,000. His son, Alfred Sully, served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Through Alfred, Thomas Sully is the great-grandfather of

Ella Deloria Ella Cara Deloria (January 31, 1889 – February 12, 1971), also called ''Aŋpétu Wašté Wiŋ'' (Beautiful Day Woman), was a Yankton Dakota (Sioux) educator, anthropologist, ethnographer, linguist, and novelist. She recorded Native American ...

, the noted

Yankton Dakota The Dakota (pronounced , Dakota language: ''Dakȟóta/Dakhóta'') are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided into ...

ethnologist Ethnology (from the grc-gre, ἔθνος, meaning 'nation') is an academic field that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). ...

and writer; the great-grandfather of artist

Mary Sully Mary Sully (1896–1963) was a Yankton Dakota avant-garde artist. Her work was largely unknown until the early 21st century. Sully is best known today for colored-pencil triptychs and "personality portraits" which often depicted celebrities suc ...

(also known as Susan Mabel Deloria, 1896–1963); and the great-great-grandfather of

Vine Deloria, Jr. Vine Victor Deloria Jr. (March 26, 1933 – November 13, 2005, Standing Rock Sioux) was an author, theologian, historian, and activist for Native American rights. He was widely known for his book '' Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto ...

, Standing Rock Dakota scholar and author of '' Custer Died For Your Sins'' (1969), an American Indian civil-rights manifesto. Sully was a great-uncle of Thomas Sully (1855–1939), the New Orleans-based architect. Charles Henry Lanneau of South Carolina was his student; he became a portrait painter and Civil War artist. The World War II Liberty Ship was named in his honor.

Gallery of works

File:Self portrait, by Thomas Sully.jpg, ''Portrait of the Artist Painting His Wife'', c. 1810, oil on canvas,

Yale University Art Gallery The Yale University Art Gallery (YUAG) is the oldest university art museum in the Western Hemisphere. It houses a major encyclopedic collection of art in several interconnected buildings on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. ...

File:Eliza Ridgely with a Harp NGA.jpg, ''Lady with a Harp'', 1818, a portrait of Eliza Ridgely, was at Hampton Mansion from the 1820s to 1945, when it was sold to the National Gallery of Art. File:Thomas Sully - Portrait of the Artist.jpg, ''Portrait of the Artist'', 1821, Metropolitan Museum of Art File:Jefferson Portrait West Point by Thomas Sully.jpg, Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, 1821,

File:Thomas Sully Portrait of the Misses Mary and Emily McEuen LACMA M2008 222 2.jpg, ''Portrait of the Misses Mary and Emily McEuen'', 1823, Los Angeles County Museum of Art File:Oil on canvas portrait of Elizabeth McEuen Smith by Thomas Sully, 1823, Honolulu Academy of Arts.jpg, ''Portrait of Elizabeth McEuen Smith'', 1823, oil on canvas, Honolulu Museum of Art File:Andrew Jackson.jpg, ''Portrait of

,'' 1824, used for the

United States twenty-dollar bill The United States twenty-dollar bill ($20) is a denomination of U.S. currency. A portrait of Andrew Jackson, the seventh U.S. president (1829–1837), has been featured on the obverse of the bill since 1928; the White House is featured on the ...

from 1928 onward File:A Life Study of the Marquis de Lafayette by Thomas Sully.jpeg, ''A Life Study of the

'', c. 1824–1825, oil on canvas File:Mary Anne Heide Norris, by Thomas Sully.jpg, ''Portrait of Mary Ann Heide Norris'', 1830, Philadelphia Museum of Art File:Sheet of Figure Studies by Thomas Sully.jpeg, Sheet of figure studies, 1830–1839,

File:Jared Sparks Thomas Sully.jpeg, ''

Jared Sparks Jared Sparks (May 10, 1789 – March 14, 1866) was an American historian, educator, and Unitarian minister. He served as President of Harvard College from 1849 to 1853. Biography Born in Willington, Connecticut, Sparks studied in the common ...

'', 1831, oil on canvas,

Reynolda House Museum of American Art The Reynolda House Museum of American Art displays a premiere collection of American art ranging from the colonial period to the present. Built in 1917 by Katharine Smith Reynolds and her husband R. J. Reynolds, founder of the R. J. Reynolds T ...

File:Octavia Walton Le Vert.jpg, ''Miss Walton of Florida'', 1833, oil on canvas, a portrait of Octavia Walton Le Vert File:Fanny Kemble by Thomas Sully, 1834.jpg, ''Portrait of Fanny Kemble,'' 1834 File:Portia and Shylock (Sully, 1835).jpg, '' Portia and Shylock,'' 1835 File:Brooklyn Museum - Gypsy Maidens - Thomas Sully.jpg, ''Gypsy Maidens'', 1839, watercolor,

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown ...

File:Macbeth in the witches' cave (Sully, 1840).jpg, '' Macbeth in the witches' cave'', 1840,

Folger Shakespeare Library The Folger Shakespeare Library is an independent research library on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., United States. It has the world's largest collection of the printed works of William Shakespeare, and is a primary repository for rare materia ...

File:Thomas Sully 001.jpg, ''Mother and Son'', 1840, oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York File:Charlotte Cushman (Sully, 1843).jpg, ''

Charlotte Cushman Charlotte Saunders Cushman (July 23, 1816 – February 18, 1876) was an American stage actress. Her voice was noted for its full contralto register, and she was able to play both male and female parts. She lived intermittently in Rome, in an expa ...

'', 1843, Folger Shakespeare Library File:Thomas Sully - cinderella.jpg, ''Cinderella at the Kitchen Fire'', 1843, Dallas Museum of Art File:MadameVanderWeyer.JPG, Engraving of Sully's portrait of Eliza, daughter of Joshua Bates of Boston (US), and wife to the Belgian statesman Sylvain van de Weyer File:Elizabeth Wadsworth by Thomas Sully, 1834.jpg, Elizabeth/Elise Wadsworth, wife of Sir Charles Murray File:Thomas Sully - The Student (Rosalie Kemble Sully) - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Student'', of Sully's daughter Rosalie, 1848 File:Portrait of Shakespeare (Sully, 1864).jpg, ''Portrait of Shakespeare'', 1864, Folger Shakespeare Library File:Rev. John Andrews, D.D..jpg, ''Portrait of Rev. John Andrews D.D. Provost of University of Pennsylvania File:Benjamin Ogle Tayloe by Thomas Sully.png, Portrait of

Benjamin Ogle Tayloe Benjamin "Ogle" Tayloe (May 21, 1796 — February 25, 1868) was an American Businessperson, businessman, bon vivant, diplomat, scion of colonial tidewater gentry, and influential political activist in Washington, D.C. during the first half of th ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

businessman A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for the ...

, bon vivant, diplomat, and influential political activist in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

during the first half of the 19th century. Son of John Tayloe III File:John Tayloe III young.jpg, John Tayloe III, reproduction by Thomas Sully from the original by Gilbert Stuart File:Portrait of Miss Marie Louise Parker.jpg, Portrait of Miss Marie Louise Parker File:WLA cma Rosalie Spang 1848.jpg, ''Rosalie Spang'', 1848

References

External links

The Winterthur Library
Overview of the archival collection on Thomas Sully.
"Washington's Crossing as Docudrama"
'' Wall Street Journal'', Retrieved 03/19/2001
"Thomas Sully (1783–1872) and Queen Victoria". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art {{DEFAULTSORT:Sully, Thomas 1783 births 1872 deaths 19th-century American painters 19th-century American male artists American male painters American portrait painters English portrait painters People from Horncastle, Lincolnshire British emigrants to the United States Artists from Philadelphia Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Coin designers