Study for male figure
Medium
figures
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Kenyon Cox
Accession Number
1923-6-40
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Kenyon Cox (1856–1919), a prominent American artist and art theorist, created this *Study for a Male Figure* around 1900. Trained in the rigorous Beaux-Arts tradition in Paris and later a influential teacher at New York's Art Students League, Cox championed classical ideals of beauty, anatomy, and harmony in American art. This preparatory sketch reflects his commitment to the academic method, where detailed figure studies served as foundational exercises for larger murals, paintings, and public commissions. As a study, the work exemplifies Cox's meticulous approach to the male form, likely re...