| Thomas Sully | ||
| Birth Date: June 19, 1783 |
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| Death Date: November 5, 1872 Artist Gallery |
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| Thomas Sully was born the youngest of nine children to actors Matthew Sully and Sarah Chester in Horncastle, England, in 1783. In 1792 the family moved to the United States, and Thomas performed on stage with his parents and siblings. Following in the footsteps of his brother Lawrence, Thomas resolved to become an artist, opening his first studio in Richmond, Virginia, in 1804. In 1807 he travelled to Boston and spent time studying with Gilbert Stuart, who encouraged Thomas to become a portraitist. Later that year he moved to Philadelphia, where he remained for the rest of his life. After a year-long trip to study art in London, he returned home. It was here that his portrait practice flourished, becoming renowned as the finest portraitist in Philadelphia, and one of the best in the country. He was overwhelmed with commissions from the elite of Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Thomas Sully created the trend and style for full-length portraiture in Philadelphia, painting the most prestigious and famous people in the area. He was not confined to Philadelphia, however, and throughout his long career he made numerous trips to Washington, Baltimore, Boston, New York, and West Point. At the height of his career, he was sent to England to paint a full-length portrait of the recently crowned Queen Victoria in 1837.
Sully’s style was to idealize his sitters, creating a sense of artificiality and perfectionism, much like the print media does today. This greatly appealed to the elite, earning him the title of most successful American portrait painter after Gilbert Stuart until his decline in the 1850’s.
At the time of this writing (April 2017), no information could be found about the subject of this portrait, William Wayne. |
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