author
Kenyon Cox
1856–1919
A leading American muralist and art critic of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he believed painting should be both beautiful and intellectually serious. He is remembered for grand public decorations, influential teaching, and clear, forceful writing about art.
1 Audiobook
Artist and Public, and Other Essays on Art Subjects
by Kenyon Cox
About the author
Born in Warren, Ohio, on October 27, 1856, Kenyon Cox became known as an American painter, illustrator, muralist, writer, and teacher. He studied in the United States and in Paris, then built a career in New York, where he was an important early instructor at the Art Students League.
Cox was especially admired for murals and decorative painting, with major commissions including work for the Library of Congress and the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. As a writer and critic, he argued strongly for classical ideals in art and became a prominent voice in debates about modern painting and design.
He died in New York on March 17, 1919. Today, he is remembered not only for his own paintings and murals, but also for the way he helped shape American art education and public discussion about what art should be.