Portrait of Seated Man; Bust of Contemplative Dante; Child Leaning on a Woman's Lap (from Sketchbook) 1810 - 1820

Thomas Sully's "Portrait of Seated Man; Bust of Contemplative Dante; Child Leaning on a Woman's Lap (from Sketchbook)" is a small-scale ink drawing dating back to 1810-1820. This sketch is a study of three distinct figures, a seated man in a coat, a bust of Dante with a laurel wreath, and a young child resting on a woman's lap, perhaps a mother, displayed in a simple composition on the sheet of paper. The quick strokes of the pen indicate a spontaneous, free-flowing artistic process, often characteristic of a sketchbook, where artists explore ideas and refine forms.