Portrait of a Lady from S. Carolina Huguenot Family

Lawrence Sully, Portrait of a Lady from S. Carolina Huguenot Family, ca. 1795, watercolor on ivory, sight 1 ³⁄₄ x 1 ³⁄₈ in. (4.4 x 3.5 cm) oval, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry L. Milmore, 1950.4.5

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Artwork Details

Title: Portrait of a Lady from S. Carolina Huguenot Family
Artist: Lawrence Sully
Date: ca. 1795
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: sight 1 ³⁄₄ x 1 ³⁄₈ in. (4.4 x 3.5 cm) oval
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Henry L. Milmore
Mediums: watercolor
Mediums Description: watercolor on ivory
Classifications: Painting
Miniature
Subjects: Portrait female — unidentified — bust
Object Number: 1950.4.5
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1950.4.5

Artwork Description

Of the two Sully brothers, Lawrence was known to be the lesser artist. His portrait figures show stiff upper bodies, little modeling, and pale skin rendered in light colors. The Huguenots had fled religious and political persecution in France and settled in the United States, where their knowledge of science and industry and their skills as artisans and craftsmen were highly prized.