The Coleman Sisters

1844

Thomas Sully

Associated Names
Thomas Sully

Artist, American, born England, 1783 - 1872

In this painting, three women are depicted standing and sitting closely together. The women have fair complexions and dark hair in ringlets, and they are smiling slightly. The woman on the left appears to be standing, and her body is turned to the right while her head is turned over her shoulder to face us. She wears a light blue dress with a brown shawl, and she is holding the edge of a red book that rests on a small table in the bottom right corner. The woman in the middle also appears to be standing, and she is wearing a golden-yellow off-the-shoulder garment. One of her hands is on the shoulder of the woman on the left. The woman on the right is seated at the small table, and she wears a pale pink off-the-shoulder dress. She looks directly out at us. The small table is covered in a golden cloth, and on the right is a vase of colorful flowers. The wall behind the woman is a blend of brown, tan, and pale blue tones.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Gift of William C. Freeman

  • Dimensions

    overall: 112.5 x 87.5 cm (44 5/16 x 34 7/16 in.)
    framed: 146.7 x 121.9 x 14 cm (57 3/4 x 48 x 5 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1947.9.3

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Margaret Coleman Freeman [1820-1894], one of the sitters; her daughter, Margaret Freeman Buckingham [1857-1946], Washington, D.C., and Cornwall, Pennsylvania; her nephew, William Coleman Freeman [1881-1955], Cornwall, Pennsylvania; gift 1947 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1952

  • [Opening exhibition of new art gallery], Randolph-Macon Woman's College, Lynchburg, Virginia, 1952-1953, no cat.

1973

  • The American Portrait: From the Death of Stuart to the Rise of Sargent, Worcester Art Museum, 1973, no. 5.

1983

  • Mr. Sully, Portrait Painter: The Works of Thomas Sully (1783-1872), National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., 1983, no. 69.

Bibliography

1909

  • Hart 1909, no. 325, 44.

1921

  • Biddle, Edward, and Mantle Fielding. The Life and Works of Thomas Sully (1783-1872). Philadelphia, 1921: no. 349, 124.

1970

  • American Paintings and Sculpture: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1970: 110, repro.

1973

  • Hennessey, William J. The American Portrait: From the Death of Stuart to the Rise of Sargent. Exh. cat. Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts, 1973: 11, repro.

1980

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1980: 240, repro.

1981

  • Williams, William James. A Heritage of American Paintings from the National Gallery of Art. New York, 1981: 97, repro. 106.

1983

  • Fabian, Monroe H. Mr. Sully, Portrait Painter: The Works of Thomas Sully (1783-1872). Exh. cat. National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., 1983: 109, repro.

1992

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 364, repro.

1998

  • Torchia, Robert Wilson, with Deborah Chotner and Ellen G. Miles. American Paintings of the Nineteenth Century, Part II. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1998: 182-184, color repro.

Wikidata ID

Q20187122

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