Mary Walsh McBlair

Thomas Sully, Mary Walsh McBlair, ca. 1801-1872, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer, 1999.27.47
Copied Thomas Sully, Mary Walsh McBlair, ca. 1801-1872, watercolor on ivory, image (oval): 1 1⁄2 x 1 1⁄8 in. (3.7 x 2.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer, 1999.27.47
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Mary Walsh McBlair
Artist
Copy after Thomas Sully
Date
ca. 1801-1872
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
image (oval): 1 1⁄2 x 1 1⁄8 in. (3.7 x 2.9 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Keywords
  • Portrait female — McBlair, Mary Walsh — head
Object Number
1999.27.47
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1999.27.47

Artwork Description

Thomas Sully traveled to England to study under Benjamin West in 1809. Upon his return, he emerged as one of Philadelphia’s leading miniaturists, and by 1830 was regarded as one of the best portrait painters in the country. Compared with his earlier, realistic work, Mary Walsh McBlair is painted in the more sentimental and romantic style that he adopted during his stay in England.