Sully Thomas

 Died on 05 November 1872: Thomas Sully, English-born (19 June 1783) US artist, specialized in portraits.  Sully immigrated to the US in 1792 with his family, who were theater and circus performers. He made at least one appearance on stage as an acrobat in 1794 and was then apprenticed to an insurance broker, after which he was placed with his brother-in-law, Jean Belzons, a miniature painter. After an argument with Belzons, Sully fled and in September 1799 joined his older brother Lawrence Sully [1769–1804], also a miniature painter, in Richmond, Virginia. Thomas Sully also studied under Henry Benbridge [bap. 27 May 1744 – 25 Jan 1812 bur.], Thomas Lawrence [13 Apr 1769 – 07 Jan 1830] and Benjamin West [10 Oct 1738 – 11 Mar 1820].


Thomas Jefferson


In 1801 the Sully family moved to Norfolk VA, where Thomas painted his first miniature, a likeness of his brother Chester. In January 1803 Lawrence and his family returned to Richmond. Thomas remained in Norfolk for another six months but in July 1803 returned to Richmond, where he opened his own studio.
Mary Peale {she had a Peale appeal}, George Inness [01 May 1825 – 03 Aug 1894] and Alfred Jacob Miller [10 Jan 1810 – 1874] were students of Sully.