Figure Study for Seal of the University Club, New York
ca. 1898
Medium
figures
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Allyn Cox
Accession Number
1960-83-148
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This preparatory figure study by Kenyon Cox captures the artist’s careful planning for the official seal of the University Club in New York around 1898. As a leading American academic painter of the period, Cox frequently received commissions for institutional emblems and murals that blended classical ideals with contemporary civic pride. The drawing’s focus on the human form reflects the meticulous process behind designing an enduring symbol meant to represent scholarship, fellowship, and tradition within one of the city’s most prominent private clubs. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art ...