Nude Study of Man with a Staff
1880â84
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Allyn Cox
Accession Number
1960-83-341
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Kenyon Cox, a leading figure in the American Renaissance movement, created this nude study between 1880 and 1884 while honing his skills abroad. Born in 1856, Cox trained in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts, where rigorous life drawing formed the foundation of academic art education. Such studies allowed artists to master human anatomy and classical poses before embarking on ambitious history paintings or murals. The work depicts a male figure holding a staff, a motif often drawn from ancient sculpture and mythology. As part of Cox’s early output, it reflects the period’s emphasis on discipl...