(From Sketchbook) 1810 - 1820

Editor: This drawing, titled "(From Sketchbook)", was made between 1810 and 1820 by Thomas Sully. It’s a pencil sketch on paper, housed here at the Met. The figures are so loosely rendered, it almost feels like glimpsing the artist’s private thoughts. What do you see in this piece, particularly within the context of its time? Curator: What immediately strikes me is the sketchbook’s role in solidifying Sully's position as a sought-after portraitist. Consider how the academic tradition shaped the art market. A display of skill in rendering the human form – often referencing classical ideals – signalled an artist's competence. Sketchbooks provided that behind-the-scenes glimpse into rigorous practice. Do you think this particular sheet showcases that self-conscious performance, or does something else come through? Editor: I see what you mean. Knowing it could function almost like a portfolio piece changes how I view the quickness of the sketches. But there's a vulnerability too, right? Like with the reclining nude – is she just for study, or is there a nod to the romanticism that was emerging at the time? Curator: Absolutely. It's a negotiation. Sully is demonstrating his ability to draw from the classical canon – the draped figures, the anatomical studies – while hinting at a more modern sensibility with the intimate, almost casual poses. These sketchbook pages offered artists space to safely experiment and explore emerging trends while securing their status. Were such drawings publicly displayed in Sully's time, do you think? Editor: I hadn’t thought about that specific context. It feels like these pages offer an important insight, revealing how artists like Sully navigated the shifting demands of both academic expectations and public taste. Curator: Exactly. Sketchbooks weren’t necessarily meant for public consumption. This allows us, the public today, an unmediated glimpse into the artistic process of creation, but let's remember that the artist always has his viewers and potential patrons in mind.