Sold at Auction: Kenyon Cox

(b Warren, Ohio, 1856; d New York, New York, 1919) American painter and muralist. Cox is known for his easel paintings, portraits, magazine and book illustrations, and commissioned mural paintings. His work most frequently features his favored themes of Renaissance and classical imagery. Cox attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and in 1877 the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris to study with J.L. Gerome. After concluding his studies in 1882, he moved to New York and taught in the Art Students’ League. Cox’s work has adorned many public buildings, including: the frieze in the Appellate Court courtroom in New York City; the capitol building in St. Paul, Minnesota; and the Walker Art Galley at Bowdoin College in Brunswick Maine. He is also the author of several books on art criticism; his theories are known for opposing modernist styles in favor of more traditional, classical and academic themes.