Reclining Female Nude Study for "Painting"
1851 to 1875
Medium
graphite on laid paper, squared with graphite
Dimensions
sheet (approximate): 35.6 × 47.9 cm (14 × 18 7/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
John Davis Hatch Collection
Accession Number
1979.20.22
Art Historical Context
Kenyon Cox's *Reclining Female Nude Study for "Painting"* (ca. 1851–1875) offers a glimpse into the meticulous preparatory process of a 19th-century American artist deeply rooted in classical traditions. This graphite drawing on laid paper captures the graceful form of a reclining female figure, a pose evoking timeless motifs from Renaissance masters like Titian. As a study for a larger painting simply titled *Painting*, it reflects Cox's academic approach, where detailed sketches served as blueprints for grander compositions, emphasizing anatomy, proportion, and ideal beauty. The medium—grap...
About the Artist
Kenyon Cox · 1856–1919
Kenyon Cox (1856–1919) was born on October 27 in Warren, Ohio, to General Jacob Dolson Cox, a prominent politician and Civil War veteran, and Helen Finney Cox. Despite fragile health, young Cox pursued art at the Art Academy of Cincinnati before advancing to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. In 1877, he traveled to Paris, studying first under Carolus-Duran, then at the Éco...