Two Figures in Stream, Bordered by Large Trees 

Thomas Sully created “Two Figures in Stream, Bordered by Large Trees” with watercolor on paper. Sully's life spanned a period of significant social and political change, including the rise of industrialization and evolving ideas about nature. The painting depicts a secluded scene with two pale figures amidst the dark foliage. Their placement within the stream and the heavy forest evokes Romantic ideals of nature's sublime power, which can dwarf human presence. Yet, this era also saw the development of landscape painting as an expression of national identity and territorial claim. Here, we might consider how the representation of an untamed landscape interacts with the erasure of Indigenous presence, a common theme in American landscape art of this period. Sully's work often presents a softened view of reality, and the ambiguity of the figures invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between nature, identity, and history.