Three Seated Men Conversing; Two Recumbent Children; Back of an Athlete; Seated Male Figure (from Sketchbook) 1810 - 1820

Thomas Sully, a prominent American portrait painter, created this sketchbook drawing titled "Three Seated Men Conversing; Two Recumbent Children; Back of an Athlete; Seated Male Figure (from Sketchbook)" sometime between 1810 and 1820. The drawing, part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, showcases Sully's mastery of capturing human form through loose, gestural lines. The composition features several individual studies including three men in conversation, a pair of reclining children, the back of an athlete, and a seated male figure, suggesting a variety of potential subjects for future paintings. Sully's drawings like this are considered essential to understanding the artistic process of one of America's most celebrated artists.