Study for "The Beneficence of the Law," Essex County Courthouse, Newark, NJ
Classification
animals
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Kenyon Cox
Accession Number
1923-6-49
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Kenyon Cox (1856–1919), a leading American muralist of the Beaux-Arts era, created this *Study for "The Benefence of the Law"* in 1906 as a preparatory work for a grand mural destined for the Essex County Courthouse Newark, New Jersey. Cox, trained in Europe and influenced by classical Renaissance traditions, championed the mural movement in the United States, adorning public spaces with allegorical scenes that celebrated American ideals like justice and civic virtue. This study captures his meticulous planning process, likely focusing on symbolic animal figures—common in such compositions to ...