Notes
Born in England to two actors, Sully was exposed to the art world at a very young age. By the age of ten, Sully and his family settled in Charleston, South Carolina where he spent his formative years studying art and cultivating a passion for portrait painting. In Charleston, Sully became schoolmates with the notable miniaturist, Charles Fraser (1782-1860), and studied under Jean L. Belzons, a French miniaturist. Influential artists like Benjamin West, Gilbert Stewart and most especially, Sir Thomas Lawrence would continue to inform and shape Sully's career and artistic style. By 1799, Sully left Charleston to commence his art career, traveling throughout the colonies until 1808 when he settled in Philadelphia. Sully returned to Charleston in 1841 and 1845 completing thirty-nine portraits of various Charlestonians including Adele Petigru Allston, a former resident of the Nathaniel Russell House, and Charles Izard Manigault. Individually and collectively, Sully's portraits gracefully capture significant aspects and individuals of 19th century American and English culture.