Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-08
MAGAZINE
l 9 o 8

fruits Of sustained and consistent ef-
fort in the fine pictures which he
painted all his life. He was very POOR
when he came to the city and could
not afford a studio. SO Peter Cooper.
apparently resolved to play his role Of
benefactor in every possible variation,
had room in his theater fitted up for
him. So there Thomas sully painted
and hoped and dreamed the usual art-
lists dreams.
Cooper's influence procured for him
many patrons, end his success, once
begun, surged forward rapidly. The
relations between the actor and the
artist we're always those of genuine
affection and sympathy, and sully
never forgot Cooper's many kind
nesses.
His Special Talent
In spite of his wonderful portraits Of
American statesmen, Thomas Sully is,
above all, renowned as the Painter Of
Women" He loved the fair sex and
understood them, and his pictures have
a genuinely feminine atmosphere and
charm which is missing in the work Of
many grander masters. His portrait
of his wife is a wonderfully lovely bit
of work, and, to cite one alone out of
his many great paintings of women, all
; the world knows his likeness Of Queen
Victoria in her coronation robes. He
; married while he was still very young
and had quite large family Five at
; least of his children achieved distinc-
tion and have left evidences of their
talents. These were Thomas, por-
; trait painter, whose likeness of Edwin
Forrest, the actor, and whose really
fine Head of Christ are well known:
Rosalie, a skilled miniature painter;
Jane, chiefly noted fop her lovely pic
) lures of children; Alfred, who entered
the regular army, won a splendid rep
; utation fighting Indians in the north
west and finally became a general, and
Blanche, whose gifts as an art critic
have received much commendation and
who rejoices in the distinction of hav-
ing posed in the coronation robes and
royal jewels for her fathers portraits
of the queen.
Thomas Sully first made the ac-
quaintance of Andrew Jackson just af-
ter the battle OF New Orleans, when
; the artist was travelling through the
. south. The great Jackson, known as
! a "stern and implacable man. in his
own province, conceived a great friend
. ship for Sully and showed himself to
. him in his best light. 1t was at this
. time that the painter made the sketch
Of Genenal Jackson, which is shown
! herewith, and which served as basis
, subsequently for his two splendid por-
traits Of the famous statesman. These
finished pictures were painted in Phil
adelphia some time afterward. Jack
son, who was in Philadelphia at the
\ time, came often to pose for Sully, and
sittings.
On one occasion tremendous bliz-
. zard bound the Quaker City in chains
of clogging snow. Every one stayed in
the house. business was suspended and
. traffic effectuaily blocked. But Cen
eral Jackson had an appointment with
. Sully. A mere snowstorm was too
. small thing to keep the winner of the
.. battle of New Orleans from his friends
. studio. He kept his appointment and
promptly.
And so between devoted subject and
! as devoid artist the two celebrated
, portraits of Jackson We're finally paint
ed. Sully hoped to dispose of the larger
! of the two pictures to the government
of Louisiana, but the project fell
! through, and the painting in question
. is now in Corcoran Art gallery. The
other portait is in the possession of the
; Sully family.
! His Many Friends
The gentle and courteous personality.
; of Thomas Sully was we'll known to all
. who knew him even casually. Indeed,
this amiable quality was great disad-
vantage to him in the every day af-
fairs of life, however much it might
endear him to those who were blessed
with understanding. Nothing seemed
great enough to shake his sweetness of
temper or cause him to forget his OBJ
legations as a man and as a gentleman.
While he was travelling through New
. England he stopped at lodging house
! where the landlord CHANGED to be a
man devoured by curiosity. This in
dividual had duplicate keys made to
! Mr.. Sully's rooms and in his absence
examined his belongings systematical-
ly. On one occasion Sully even found a
. strangers overcoat in the room which
he used as a studio. Instead of going
to his landlord and creating a disturb
ance about the matter, however, the
artist contented himself with return
ing the coat to the office. without a
!. uord aiIher of cnnlment or of cor,a