Study for mosaic in the Wisconsin State Capital "Government and Liberty"
ca. 1912
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Ambrose Lansing
Accession Number
1983.114.11
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kenyon Cox, a leading American muralist and proponent of classical revival in early 20th-century art, created this *Study for mosaic in the State Capitol "Government and Liberty"* around 1912. As a preparatory painting, it served as a detailed blueprint for a grand mosaic in the Wisconsin State Capitol, embodying the era's City Beautiful movement, which sought to elevate public architecture with inspiring, allegorical imagery. Cox's neoclassical style drew from ancient Greek and Roman traditions, making civic virtues like government and liberty tangible and heroic for everyday citizens. The f...
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...