Mary Ann Paton (Mrs Wood)
1 of 6 portraits by Thomas Sully
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- Extended catalogue entry
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Early Victorian Portraits Catalogue
Mary Ann Paton (Mrs Wood)
by Thomas Sully
1836
24 in. x 19 7/8 in. (610 mm x 505 mm)
NPG 1351
This portraitback to top
This painting was begun in Philadelphia on 11 March 1836, and finished on 5 August. It is a study for the large painting of Mary Ann Wood in the Royal College of Music, London, representing her as Amina in the last scene of the opera 'La Sonnambula' (Biddle and Fielding, 2000); this also dates from 1836, and was presented by Robert Wood, the sitter's son. It has recently been restored. Sully painted other portraits of Mary Ann Wood, including one for his own collection (head, 1836, Biddle and Fielding, 1999), and a copy of a portrait by his son-in-law, John Neagle (head and shoulders, 1836, Biddle and Fielding, 2002). The original Neagle, showing Mary Ann Wood as Amina, was with Hirschl and Adler, 1971, and a replica of 1848 is in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia; Sully's copy was in the collection of W. McHale, Cleveland, 1921.
Referenceback to top
Biddle and Fielding 2001
E. Biddle and M. Fielding, The Life and Works of Thomas Sully (Philadelphia, 1921), p 323 (2001).
Hart 1900
C. H. Hart, A Register of Portraits Painted by Thomas Sully (Philadelphia, 1909), p 183 (1900).
Physical descriptionback to top
Clear complexion, grey eyes, dark brown hair. The hands are unfinished. Background colour brown and greenish-brown.
Provenanceback to top
Presented by Robert Wood, 1903.
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1973, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.
View all known portraits for Mary Ann Paton (Mrs Wood)