Seven Figures: Advancing Monarch, Three Promenading Women, Half-length Woman Leaning on a Mantelpiece (from Sketchbook) 1810 - 1820

"Seven Figures: Advancing Monarch, Three Promenading Women, Half-length Woman Leaning on a Mantelpiece (from Sketchbook)" is a drawing by American artist Thomas Sully, executed between 1810 and 1820. This work, currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, exemplifies Sully's masterful use of line and his interest in capturing fleeting moments. The sketch's composition features a diverse group of figures, including a prominent monarch, three women walking, and a half-length figure leaning against a mantelpiece, all rendered in a loose, gestural style that reflects the artist's swift observation. This piece reveals the dynamism of Sully's artistic process and offers a glimpse into the development of his compositions.