Nude Study of Man with a Staff

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 disciplined observation and idealized form, qualities that later defined his public commissions and writings on art. Now in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection through a generous gift from his son Allyn Cox, the drawing offers visitors a glimpse into the private practice behind one of America’s most influential turn-of-the-century artists and teachers.