Fishermen at a Mountain Stream 

Thomas Sully made this watercolor titled, "Fishermen at a Mountain Stream". Sully was one of the most sought-after portrait painters in the United States, and you get the sense he was testing new grounds with this artwork. There’s an emotional balance in this work, with a sense of tranquility. In his landscapes, Sully was drawn to the sublime, the beautiful and the picturesque. It also reflects the romanticism of the era, in which the relationship between humans and nature was a focal point. The fishermen in the picture seem to be at peace with their natural surroundings, fully immersed in nature, with a sense of belonging. The American landscape was more than just scenery; it was also intertwined with national identity, expansion, and the romantic ideal of the noble frontiersman. It shows us how art, like fishing, is about more than what you catch. It is the experience of the artist, as well as our own.