(American, 1816-1890)

Group of Sixteen Drawings

Mixed media on paper; various sizes

Framed individually.

About the Artist

(American, 1816-1890)

The nephew of the artist Thomas Sully, George Washington Sully was born in Norfolk, Virginia to Chester Sully, a cotton broker. Without the benefit of artist training, George Sully joined his father in business, but sketched his entire life. In the 1820s, the family moved to the Florida territory where Sully first gained artistic notice for his depictions of the native tribesmen in West Florida. Moving to New Orleans in 1834, he continued his vocation as a cotton broker while also pursuing his artistic career. Sully’s subjects included the unique New Orleans architecture, portraits, caricatures of fantastic creatures and, according to a local critic, he had a “keen eye for landscapes.” Sully apparently abandoned his professional artistic career in the late 1840s, but continued to paint local scenes even after retiring in 1862 when he moved to Covington, Louisiana. Sully passed away there in 1890.