Man Gesturing, Composition Study, Woman Petting Dog (from Sketchbook) 1810 - 1820

This sketch, made by Thomas Sully in the 19th century, is done with pen and ink on paper, a straightforward method for capturing spontaneous ideas. The quick, almost frantic lines give us a peek into Sully’s thought process. Notice how the ink varies in thickness; a result of pressure and speed. Some areas are dense with dark hatching, while others are just light suggestions of form, which implies Sully was figuring out his composition on the fly. The very immediacy of the medium allowed him to rapidly develop his ideas. The figures are rendered with a casual grace that was esteemed by many academic artists during the 1800's. With simple tools, ink, and paper, Sully’s focus was to observe and record. We see no heavy labor here, just the artist’s hand quickly translating what his eye observed. This work blurs the lines between preparation and finished piece, reminding us that the value of art lies not only in its final form but also in the process of its making.