Thomas SullyAmerican, 1783–1872Mary Abigail Willing Coale
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Mary Abigail Willing Coale” now? Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 1B, Washington, D.C. Yes, on view now. Checked September 25, 2026.
Washington, D.C., United States
RoomLuce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 1B
Closed· opens tomorrow at 11:30 AM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
Thomas Sully painted Abigail Willing Coale with rosy cheeks, an alluring gaze, and supple white skin, which he accentuated with the low neckline of her gown. The artist painted her in a fur wrap that captures the color of her luminous gray-green eyes and softens the transition from the figure to the background. Sully, a skilled and successful portrait painter, wrote that “From long experience I know that resemblance in a portrait is essential; but no fault will be found with the artist, (at least by the sitter,) if he improve the appearance.”
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Details
- Accession number
- 1926.6.4
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Image: Smithsonian American Art Museum — CC0
