Charles Sullivan was an important Ohio artist during the nineteenth century.
Born in Frankfort, Pennsylvania in 1794, Sullivan spent his youth in Pennsylvania. He began to study art in the 1810s. His most important teacher was Thomas Sully, an artist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sullivan later opened his own studio in Philadelphia. In 1827, he moved to what is now Wheeling, West Virginia and in 1833, to Marietta, Ohio.
In Wheeling and Marietta, Sullivan became especially well known for his landscapes. His river scenes focused mainly on the Ohio River. He also made a number of paintings of American Indian earthworks, especially in the vicinity of Marietta. Sullivan's paintings of the Marietta Earthworks provide valuable information since many of the earthworks are no longer in existence.
Sullivan resided in Marietta for the remainder of his life. He died in 1867.
The Ohio History Connection's Campus Martius Museum in Marietta, Ohio contains examples of Charles Sullivan's work.