Help identify this mystery watercolor
January 27, 2011 2:35 PM Subscribe
Help me identify this watercolor of two monks(?)
This is a small (5 7/8 x 5) watercolor by an artist called George Washington Sully (1816-1890) (nephew of the portraitist Thomas Sully and father of the New Orleans architect, also Thomas Sully). G.W. Sully was a cotton broker, not a professional painter, and there's not a lot of information out there about him as an artist.
I'm trying to figure out what scene he was depicting in this piece. The words at the bottom seem to read "Alas, my brother and this is life." The first part of the quote, "Alas, my brother," is from I Kings 13:30, but the second part doesn't seem to be from that verse or the next one so it might not even be a biblical reference.
It might be depicting John of the Cross during his imprisonment, when he did lots of writing, which would explain the books and papers at bottom left. But this is pure speculation.
Then there's the writing on the stack of papers at bottom left, which looks like the year 1643 atop J. (or I.) Vol no x maybe? Or maybe Volnox is a word? What could the date be referring to?
And does anyone recognize the cross on inverted triangle symbolism? Perhaps something Masonic? Maybe the triangle is just a shelf?
I've exhausted the print resources at my institution, and Googled my heart out on this one, but I'm stumped. I hope you can help!
This is a small (5 7/8 x 5) watercolor by an artist called George Washington Sully (1816-1890) (nephew of the portraitist Thomas Sully and father of the New Orleans architect, also Thomas Sully). G.W. Sully was a cotton broker, not a professional painter, and there's not a lot of information out there about him as an artist.
I'm trying to figure out what scene he was depicting in this piece. The words at the bottom seem to read "Alas, my brother and this is life." The first part of the quote, "Alas, my brother," is from I Kings 13:30, but the second part doesn't seem to be from that verse or the next one so it might not even be a biblical reference.
It might be depicting John of the Cross during his imprisonment, when he did lots of writing, which would explain the books and papers at bottom left. But this is pure speculation.
Then there's the writing on the stack of papers at bottom left, which looks like the year 1643 atop J. (or I.) Vol no x maybe? Or maybe Volnox is a word? What could the date be referring to?
And does anyone recognize the cross on inverted triangle symbolism? Perhaps something Masonic? Maybe the triangle is just a shelf?
I've exhausted the print resources at my institution, and Googled my heart out on this one, but I'm stumped. I hope you can help!
I found a Franciscan monk who was martyr'ed in 1643 after a stay in prison. Not sure what would prompt him to be painted, but it might be a clue.
posted by jquinby at 3:29 PM on January 27, 2011
posted by jquinby at 3:29 PM on January 27, 2011
Possibly the watercolor is a study of a painting originally done by Joseph Simon Volmar?
posted by notquitemaryann at 4:29 PM on January 27, 2011
posted by notquitemaryann at 4:29 PM on January 27, 2011
Nothing all that promising on Wikipedia's 1643 page, but since there's Catholic iconography in the image, maybe it's worth mentioning that the Thirty Years' War was going on?
posted by oinopaponton at 5:20 PM on January 27, 2011
posted by oinopaponton at 5:20 PM on January 27, 2011
Oh, also, they might be in a monastic cell and not a prison one.
posted by oinopaponton at 5:38 PM on January 27, 2011
posted by oinopaponton at 5:38 PM on January 27, 2011
Is this him, listed as Senior Warden at Christ Church in Covington, Louisiana in 1884? (An Episcopal church) More leads there, maybe? The church is still around.
posted by XMLicious at 1:10 AM on January 28, 2011
posted by XMLicious at 1:10 AM on January 28, 2011
Response by poster: XMLicious, that is the artist, yes. His life is well-documented, but he was not a professional artist and as far as I know he didn't keep any kind of records about his paintings . This watercolor is one of a group of about 40 little watercolors and sketches. They were part of a larger donation and didn't come with any documentation.
Notquitemaryann, I am hoping that it's a study or copy - thanks for the lead on an artist, and jquinby thanks for the lead on the martyred monk. I'm going to search more images and let you all know if I find anything.
posted by CheeseLouise at 5:40 AM on January 28, 2011
Notquitemaryann, I am hoping that it's a study or copy - thanks for the lead on an artist, and jquinby thanks for the lead on the martyred monk. I'm going to search more images and let you all know if I find anything.
posted by CheeseLouise at 5:40 AM on January 28, 2011
Response by poster: Notquitemaryann, is there a specific Volmar painting that you are thinking of? The works of his that I've found are of horses and dogs, mostly.
posted by CheeseLouise at 7:17 AM on January 28, 2011
posted by CheeseLouise at 7:17 AM on January 28, 2011
Response by poster: I just realized that the Volmar suggestion was to do with the word in the watercolor. But no, it doesn't appear that J.S. Volmar did any paintings similar to this one. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
posted by CheeseLouise at 7:43 AM on January 28, 2011
posted by CheeseLouise at 7:43 AM on January 28, 2011
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You might try St. Peter in Prison, St. John the Baptist, or St. Anthony. The blue monk looks like typical depictions of St. Anthony, the red St. John the Baptist, but I don't recognize either of those figures from another more famous work.
They also look as though they are in the crypt space of a church, so there's that possibility as well.
posted by effluvia at 3:01 PM on January 27, 2011