Portrait of [Poussin?]; Landscape Composition; Two Women; Woman and Child; Baby (from Sketchbook) 1810 - 1820

Thomas Sully created this page of sketches with pen and ink sometime in the 19th century. The thinness of the lines, achieved with a fine nib, give the figures an ethereal, almost fleeting quality. This wasn't a work intended for public display, but a rapid gathering of ideas. You can see Sully working out different poses, a landscape, and even a portrait of another artist, perhaps Poussin. The concentration of the dark ink in certain areas adds volume and weight, especially in the drapery and hair. Although modest in scale and intention, this sketch page reveals the essential role of drawing in Sully's artistic process. It reminds us that even the most polished paintings begin with the intimate act of mark-making, a direct connection between the artist's hand, eye, and imagination. Through humble materials, Sully captured the spark of creativity itself.