194 - Thomas SULLY (1783–1872)

Thomas SULLY (1783–1872) Portrait of General Walker Keith Armistead (1773–1845), c. 1829 H_69 cm W_55.5 cm (visible area) Rectangular canvas in an oval picture frame H_75 cm W_60 cm Related work: -Thomas SULLY, Portrait of General Walker Keith Armistead, completed in October 1829 and acquired directly by West Point, oil on canvas, 63.5 x 76.2 cm, West Point Museum Bibliography: -BIDDLE, Edward, and FIELDING, The Life and Works of Thomas Sully (1783–1872), Philadelphia, Wickersham Press, 1921. Our painting is a copy of the portrait of American General Walker Keith Armistead (1783–1845), painted by Thomas Sully in 1829 and housed at the West Point Museum. A prominent figure in U.S. military history during the first half of the 19th century, Armistead was trained at West Point and notably fought in the War of 1812 against the British. He served as chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1812 to 1818. He then pursued a distinguished military career, culminating in his promotion to the rank of brigadier general in 1828. The creation of multiple copies of the same composition is a well-known practice in Sully’s work. Notable examples include the various versions of his portrait of Thomas Jefferson, of which several autograph repetitions are documented. This practice responded to requests from both institutions and families wishing to preserve a likeness of their loved ones. Born in England in 1783 and raised in the United States from childhood, Thomas Sully established himself as one of the leading American portrait painters of the first half of the 19th century. Strongly influenced by Thomas Lawrence, he was even nicknamed the “American Lawrence.” Over the course of his career, he produced more than 2,300 paintings, including portraits of several U.S. presidents, Lafayette, and the famous portrait of Queen Victoria.