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Catalog Data

Artist:
Thomas Sully, born Horncastle, England 1783-died Philadelphia, PA 1872  Search this
Sitter:
Mary Abigail Willing Coale  Search this
Medium:
oil on wood
Dimensions:
28 7/8 x 23 7/8 in. (73.2 x 60.8 cm)
Type:
Painting
Date:
1809
Luce Center Label:
Thomas Sully painted Abigail Willing Coale with rosy cheeks, an alluring gaze, and supple white skin, which he accentuated with the low neckline of her gown. The artist painted her in a fur wrap that captures the color of her luminous gray-green eyes and softens the transition from the figure to the background. Sully, a skilled and successful portrait painter, wrote that “From long experience I know that resemblance in a portrait is essential; but no fault will be found with the artist, (at least by the sitter,) if he improve the appearance.”
Topic:
Portrait female  Search this
Credit Line:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, George Buchanan Coale Collection
Object number:
1926.6.4
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department:
Painting and Sculpture
On View:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 1B
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor
Data Source:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7ce886385-4aa5-4e0a-bb85-7159311537e5
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:saam_1926.6.4