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Self-Portrait by Sully, Thomas

Sully, Thomas · 1850

This is a self-portrait by the American painter Thomas Sully, made around 1850 when he was 67 years old. It hangs in a quiet gallery now, but the directness of the stare still stops people mid-scroll.

Sully painted presidents and society women his whole life, earning a living through flattery. But here, turning the mirror on himself, he chose something rarer. The furrowed forehead is unsmoothed. The visible jowl is left in. The eyes hold yours with a professional's assessment, not a plea for sympathy. One side of the face dissolves into shadow while the other declares itself plainly, a chiaroscuro choice that makes the portrait feel half-revealed.

Born in England in 1783, Sully was brought to America as a child and became the most sought-after portraitist in Philadelphia. For fifty years, he looked at other people. This painting, done late in life, is what happened when he sat down and really looked at himself.

What do you see in that expression? Dignified resignation? Honest acceptance? Or the alert patience of a man who has spent a lifetime watching faces and now finally lets his own be seen?

Details

He painted himself at 67.
He painted himself at 67.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes.
Now look at the forehead.
Now look at the forehead.
Here, he finally gave himself the same honest attention.
Here, he finally gave himself the same honest attention.
The loose, painterly waves contrast with the tight precision of the face, demonstrating Sully's ability to shift handling within a single canvas.
The loose, painterly waves contrast with the tight precision of the face, demonstrating Sully's ability to shift handling within a single canvas.
Transcript

He painted himself at 67. Look at the eyes. He does not look away. Now look at the forehead. He refused to smooth the lines away. This is the face of a man who painted others for 50 years. Here, he finally gave himself the same honest attention.