Personification of "Ceramics," Study for the Dome of the Manufacturer's Building, World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, IL
Classification
mural designs
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Allyn Cox
Accession Number
1960-83-108
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Kenyon Cox (1856–1919), a leading American muralist of the Gilded Age, created this preparatory study in 1891 for a grand mural adorning the dome of the Manufacturer's Building the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago1893). The fair, a dazzling showcase of American innovation and culture marking the 400th anniversary of Columbus's voyage, drew over 27 million visitors to its "White City" of neoclassical splendor. Cox's design personifies "Ceramics," embodying the industrial artistry of pottery and porcelain production—a nod to America's burgeoning manufacturing prowess amid rapid industrial...