Rosalie Sully

American painter (1818-1847)

Rosalie Sully
Rosalie Sully, painted by Thomas Sully
Born	June 3, 1818 (1818-06-03)
Died	July 8, 1847(1847-07-08) (aged 29) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Resting place	Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Painter
Relatives	Thomas Sully (father) Alfred Sully (brother)

Rosalie Kemble Sully (June 3, 1818 – July 8, 1847) was an American landscape and portrait miniature painter. She is the daughter of the famous painter Thomas Sully and had a romantic relationship with Charlotte Cushman.

Early life

Sully was born on June 3, 1818, to the famous painter Thomas Sully^[1] and Sarah Annis Sully.^[2]

Career

Sully was a painter and exhibited her landscape paintings in New York in 1839,^[3] but was dependent on her family for financial support.^[4] She painted several miniatures for family^[5] and friends including actress Charlotte Cushman.^[6] Her work was created in a small studio adjoining her father's larger studio.^[7]

Personal life

Sully met Charlotte Cushman in the summer of 1843, when Cushman hired Rosalie's father to paint her portrait. After their meeting, Cushman and Sully became romantically involved and exchanged many passionate letters. On June 1, 1844, Cushman sent Sully a ring for her birthday, a precursor of events to come. On July 5, 1844, Cushman wrote in her diary that she had "Slept with Rose" and, on July 6, 1844, Cushman wrote that they were "married". However, their time together as a "married" couple was short-lived. Cushman left in November 1844 on an English tour, which put a strain on the couple's relationship but did not end it, until Sully found out that Cushman had started seeing someone else overseas. Upon receipt of this news, Sully sank into a severe depression which she remained in until her death.^[8]

Sully died from fever on July 8, 1847, in Philadelphia,^[1] and was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery.^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b "Rosalie Sully". www.archivalgossip.com. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
^ Catalogue of the Memorial Exhibition of Portraits by Thomas Sully. Philadelphia: The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. 1922. p. 110. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
^ Caldwell, John; Roque, Oswaldo Rodriguez; Johnson, Dale T. (March 1, 1994). American Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. 1: A Catalogue of Works by Artists Born by 1815. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
^ Merrill, Lisa (1999). When Romeo was a Woman - Charlotte Cushman and her Circle of Female Spectators. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 2. ISBN 0-472-10799-2. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
^ Wharton, Anne Hollingsworth; Taylor, Emily Drayton (1897). Heirlooms in Miniatures. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company. p. 189. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
^ Wojczuk, Tana (2020). Lady Romeo - The Radical and Revolutionary Life of Charlotte Cushman, America's First Celebrity. New York: Avid Reader Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-1-5011-9952-3. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
^ The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. Historical Society of Pennsylvania. 1918. p. 120.
^ Enss, Chris (2016). Entertaining Women: Actresses, Dancers, and Singers in the Old West. Guilford, Connecticut: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 67–68. ISBN 978-1-4422-4733-8. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
^ "Rosalie Sully". www.remembermyjourney.com. Retrieved September 4, 2024.