Groups of Putti; a Girl and Dog; Massacre of Innocents [?] (from Sketchbook) 1810 - 1820

This sketchbook page was made by Thomas Sully, likely in the first half of the 19th century, with pen and ink over graphite. Here we see a gathering of studies, quickly jotted down. Consider what this medium, pen on paper, really means. It’s among the most basic, most available of mark-making technologies. This ease lent itself to the immediacy we see here. The ink itself is fugitive, prone to fading, and the drawing seems purposefully informal. Sully did not labor over this page. Instead, he seemed interested in recording quick impressions – especially of the human figure, alone and in groups. We can see the results of his artistic work. He trained in the traditional drawing and painting skills and became a well-known portrait painter. But drawings like these, simple as they seem, were crucial to his way of working. They remind us that even the grandest artistic projects often have humble origins. The means of production – from the hand, to the pen, to the final drawing – have a story to tell.