334 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



in the same expedition, is an extremely interesting man ; to 

 him I am particularly obligated for showing me their Museum 

 and Library. I think he told me that their society had pub- 

 lished nine volumes. . . . Bonaparte is the son of Lucien Bona- 

 parte and nephew to the Emperor Napoleon ; he is a little set, 

 black-eyed fellow, quite talkative, and withal interesting and 

 companionable. 



Among the working naturalists at Philadelphia Dr. 

 Richard Harlan was possibly one whose friendship was 

 most valuable to Audubon; the artist from whom he 

 received most encouragement was Thomas Sully, the 

 portrait painter, who took him into his studio and gave 

 him lessons in the use of oils. Sully was one of those 

 who saw the good side of Audubon's character, discerned 

 his talent, and predicted for him a great future; at a 

 later day Sully was able to rejoice in finding his predic- 

 tion amply fulfilled. 11 



Convinced that the advice which Fairman and Bona- 

 parte had given him was sound, Audubon decided to 

 look to Europe for a publisher of his Birds, and with this 

 end in view, set hard to work at his drawings. "I had 

 some pupils offered," he said, "at a dollar per lesson; 

 but I found the citizens unwilling to pay for art, al- 

 though they affected to patronize it. I exhibited my 



"Thomas Sully (1783-1872), Englishman by birth, who had come to 

 America at an early age, and like Audubon had waged a bitter struggle 

 before success was achieved, became one of the first portrait painters of the 

 early American School. 



In 1831 Sully wrote to Audubon that his success in England and 

 France had charmed all of his friends in America, that it was like a 

 personal triumph to them, and that it would soon silence his few remain- 

 ing enemies; "Be true to yourself, Audubon," he added, "and never doubt 

 of success." It has been said that when Audubon first came to Philadel- 

 phia in 1824 he applied to Sully for instruction, saying that he wished 

 to become a portrait painter (see Dunlap, op. cit.); again that he was 

 ready to sell his drawings to the highest bidder; but the records of his 

 journals from 1820 onward are sufficiently consistent to show what his 

 purpose really was. 



