Three Graces (Primavera?) (Botticelli?); Dying Figure; Figure with a Bow (from Sketchbook) 1810 - 1820

Curator: Ah, here we have an intriguing piece titled "Three Graces (Primavera?) (Botticelli?); Dying Figure; Figure with a Bow (from Sketchbook)." Attributed to Thomas Sully and created somewhere between 1810 and 1820, this drawing is currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: What strikes me immediately is the sense of fleeting thoughts, like a dreamscape captured in ink and pencil. It's a medley of possibilities rather than a resolved idea. Curator: Precisely. Sully's sketchbook offers us a rare peek into an artist’s creative process. We see a variety of figures sketched in ink on paper, overlapping and juxtaposed in ways that feel quite spontaneous. There's a quote of Botticelli, a study of death, and other figures ready for the hunt, as if he's considering what stories they could tell. Editor: You know, I appreciate how informal this is. No attempt to polish or refine—it's raw artistic thought laid bare. It's hard not to start trying to invent tales for each sketch or even dream of staging a scene between Botticelli's muses with a character in this storyboard. Curator: Yes, and there is a distinct Neoclassical bent mixed with nascent Romanticism that defines Sully. Note the academic line work. It evokes his formal training, yet also it captures a particular feeling. Each sketch is its own world; however, it also feeds from and gives to others nearby. It reminds me of the constant negotiation that makes all works a conversation with tradition. Editor: The lack of firm outlines or shading contributes to this unfinished feeling. Are we seeing a study for a larger work, or just letting his creativity run wild? It really encourages speculation. In this sketchbook, he's a modern storyteller before the advent of film. What better storyboard for it? Curator: Absolutely. The ambiguity invites viewers to participate actively in shaping their own narratives. In essence, Sully provides a playground for the imagination, allowing for infinite interpretations and connections. What appears on the surface as just figures hints instead at stories waiting to be unveiled. Editor: That’s beautifully put. I think what captivates me is how it transcends the specific subjects and taps into a more universal human experience, just dreaming. Curator: Yes. So this work ends up embodying this creative exploration. And, perhaps, hopefully inspires visitors to carry sketchbooks again!