Presentation Scene (from Sketchbook) 1810 - 1820

Thomas Sully’s Presentation Scene is made from graphite and watercolor on paper, and it comes from one of his sketchbooks. The immediacy of these materials lends itself to rapid notation, prioritizing gesture over detail. The graphite provides the basic armature, while the watercolor washes add tone and depth, focusing on the fall of light across the architectural setting. The artist is interested in the interplay of light and shadow, which serves to animate the scene. This is not a highly finished, labored painting. It is a means of quickly capturing ideas, and working through possible compositions. The quick, economical application of the washes contributes to its dynamic, spontaneous character, indicative of Sully’s initial process. This mode of production – the freehand sketch – stands in contrast to more ‘finished’ and ‘laborious’ art forms, which may be perceived as higher in status. But let’s not forget that all works of art begin somewhere, and this drawing gives us a glimpse into Sully's imaginative processes.