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About the artist
Kenyon Cox
Kenyon Cox prints bring the calm, idealised figures and classical allegories of the American Renaissance into your home. Cox was an American painter, muralist, illustrator, critic and teacher who decorated state capitols and the Library of Congress and championed classical tradition in art. Our collection of fine art prints covers...Read the full biography
Kenyon Cox prints bring the calm, idealised figures and classical allegories of the American Renaissance into your home. Cox was an American painter, muralist, illustrator, critic and teacher who decorated state capitols and the Library of Congress and championed classical tradition in art. Our collection of fine art prints covers his paintings, mural studies, portraits and figure and drapery studies.
About Kenyon Cox
Kenyon Cox was born in Warren, Ohio, on 27 October 1856, the son of Jacob Dolson Cox and Helen Finney Cox. He studied at the McMicken School of Art in Cincinnati and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, then in 1877 went to Paris. After a short, unhappy time with Carolus-Duran he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts under Alexandre Cabanel and Jean-Léon Gérôme, and travelled in Italy.
Back in New York he became an influential teacher at the Art Students League, designing its logo with the motto "No day without a line", and wrote art criticism. He painted a portrait of his wife, Louise Howland King. He was elected to the National Academy of Design in 1900 and became a full Academician in 1903.
After the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition he turned increasingly to murals, painting decorations for the Library of Congress in 1896–97 and for the state capitols of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as mosaics. In 1910 he received the Architectural League's Medal of Honor for mural painting. He wrote widely for The Nation, Century and Scribner's and was an outspoken critic. He died in New York on 17 March 1919.
Style and Subjects
Cox valued clear drawing, balanced composition and idealised figures drawn from the Renaissance and antiquity. His murals show calm allegorical figures, such as Law, Justice, Education and the Arts, in flowing robes against simple, decorative backgrounds.
He was a fine draughtsman, and his many nude and drapery studies for murals are admired for their careful, sensitive line. His easel paintings include gentle landscapes, portraits and poetic nudes.
Famous Works
- Flying Shadows (1883), Corcoran Collection, Washington. A landscape of cloud shadows passing over the land.
- Lengthening Shadows (1888). An evening landscape with long shadows.
- A Blonde (1891), National Academy of Design, New York. A portrait study of a fair-haired woman.
- Louise Howland King (Mrs. Kenyon Cox) (1892), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington. A portrait of his wife.
- Echo (1892), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington. The nymph of myth in a quiet landscape.
- Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1908), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The great sculptor at work.
- Book of Pictures (1913), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington. A quiet scene of reading.
- Tradition (1916), Cleveland Museum of Art. An allegory of art passing the torch of tradition.
Decorating with Cox Prints
Cox's allegories and mural studies, like Plenty or The Progress of Civilization, bring classical dignity to a library, study or entrance hall. Their muted golds and soft colours suit traditional and neoclassical interiors.
His landscapes, such as Flying Shadows, are calm choices for a living room or bedroom, and his figure studies make an elegant group for an artist's studio.
FAQ
Who was Kenyon Cox?
Kenyon Cox (1856–1919) was an American painter, muralist, illustrator, art critic and teacher, a leading figure of the American Renaissance.
Where can I see Kenyon Cox's murals?
His murals are in the Library of Congress in Washington and in the state capitols of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where he also made mosaics.
Why is Kenyon Cox important to the Art Students League?
He was one of its most influential early teachers and designed its logo, with the motto "Nulla Dies Sine Linea" ("No day without a line").
What did Kenyon Cox believe about art?
As a teacher and critic for The Nation, Century and Scribner's, he valued classical tradition, clear drawing and idealised beauty.
Related Artists
- Jean-Léon Gérôme: his teacher at the École des Beaux-Arts
- Elihu Vedder: fellow American muralist at the Library of Congress
- John La Farge: leading American muralist of the same era
- Maxfield Parrish: American painter Cox portrayed in 1905
About this artwork
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