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. 
Convinced that the advice which Fairman and Bona- 
parte had given him was sound, Audubon decided to 
look to Kurope 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. 
