Two Seated Figures; One Sleeping Figure; Standing Man Leaning on Ship Railing (from Sketchbook) 1810 - 1820

This sketch, made by Thomas Sully, presents four figures in varying states of repose and anticipation. The standing man, leaning pensively against the ship railing, evokes a sense of longing, his gaze directed outward, perhaps toward distant shores or future possibilities. Consider the recurring motif of the wanderer, the traveler, deeply rooted in the human psyche. From antiquity’s Odysseus to the Romantic era’s solitary wanderer, this figure embodies our innate desire for exploration and self-discovery. Note the sleeping figure in Sully’s sketch—a universal symbol of vulnerability and respite. This posture resonates across time, echoing in countless artistic representations of slumbering gods, saints, and mortals alike. The emotional weight carried by these images speaks to our collective memory, engaging us on a subconscious level. In the continuous flow of history, symbols resurface, transformed, yet retaining their primal power to stir our souls.