Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-29
sULLY's HENRY.

The following communication appeared
in a recent issue OF the nv York Sun,
| and has been reproduced In many other
papers:
TO the Editor OF the Sun:
In the Sun Of March 2lst there Is an
article credited to the Philadelphia Press,
In which reference is made to a portrait
OF Patrick Henry, painted by the elder
Sully.
There never was an artist known as the
elder Sully. The only artist in this
! country bearing the name OF Sully was
| the venerable Thomas Sully, who resided
| for half a century in Philadelphia, on
| Fifth street. above Chestnut the site Of
| his dwelling was swallowed up by that
| Jumbo Of a Bourse, which many Philadel-
phians now wish was in Jericho.
Secondly Mr.. Sully never painted n
portrait OF Patrick Henry from life.
Henry died in 1879 Sully was then a
hoy, 16 years of age. living with his
parents in Charleston. S. c., and he did
not commence his career as an artist until
1903.
In 1917 a Life of Patrick Henry"
written by the Hon. William Writ, was
published, and it was considered desira-
BILE TO illustrate the book with a likeness
of the great orator, but after diligent
search no portrait of him could be found.
Mr. Sully was then employed to manu-
facture supposititious portrait taking
as his model an engraving of the cele-
brated circumnavigator Captain James
Cook, copying the features pretty closely,
and replacing the naval uniform by a
graceful cloak; and that is all that Mr..
Sully had 70 do with the portrait OF
Patrick Henry.
AN OLD PHILADELPHIAN.
Being anxious to know the truth of this
matter the Dispatch addressed a note
to the Hon w. W. Henry, of this city,
asking him for information, and the fol-
lowing is his reply:
TO the Editor of the Dspatch:
Please accept my thanks for the clip
ping from the New York Sun in reference
to the Sully portrait of Patrick Henry.
can Old Philadelphia" who made the
communication TO the Sun, is not well
informed of the matters OF which he
writes. 1 will give the facts as l received
them from my father. the son Of Patrick
Henry, and personal friend of William
Writ, to whom Mr.. Writ presented the
portrait of Patrick Henry by Thomas
Sully. now in my possession.
In Virginia, we call the artist "the elder
Sully" because his nephew visited Vir-
ginia some forty-siX years ago and
painted portraits. When Patrick Henry
argued the great cause in Richmond,
known as "the British Debt Cause" an
artist who attended the court painted
a miniature of him, which he presented
to Mr. Henry. This, Mr. Henry gave to
his half brother, John Syme, or to his
wife. 1t was considered fine likeness,
ard was in the family Of Colonel Syme
when Mr.. Writ long afterwards wrote his
life of Mr.. Henry. The family lived
near Richmond, and Mr.. Writ obtained
the loan Of the miniature for Mr. Sully
to make a portrait of, and he faithfully
copied it. / have never seen the minia-
ture. but have conversed with several
persons who have seen 1t, and / have
been written to about IL by a person in
the North who then owned 1t, or eX-
pected to buy it. The impression that
Mr. Suly copied the face of Cook, the
navigator doubtless arose from the fact
that there was a strong resemblance be-
tween the two faces. That the Sully por-
trait n correct likeness of Mr.. Henry
is fully attested by Chief Justice Mar
shall and others, who knew him well, in
n communication TO Mr.. Writ. which 1
have. When Mr.. Writ presented the por-
trait to my father, the widow Of Patrick
Henry was living, and several of his
older children also, who remembered him.
Nv father told me they all united in
saving IL was an excellent likeness of
Patrick Henry, and the best they had
ever seen / am convinced, therefore
that his features have been faithfully
preserved by the celebrated artist who
painted this portrait.
l would be glad if the New York Sun,
and any other paper that published the
communication of IAN Old Philadel-
phian," would publish this statement.
WILLIAM WRIT HENRY.
Richmond, Va.