A Lady in Black

Kenyon Cox, A Lady in Black, 1880, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Allyn Cox, 1983.31.4
Copied Kenyon Cox, A Lady in Black, 1880, oil on canvas, 20 3⁄4 x 12 7⁄8 in. (52.7 x 32.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Allyn Cox, 1983.31.4
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
A Lady in Black
Artist
Date
1880
Location
Dimensions
20 3⁄4 x 12 7⁄8 in. (52.7 x 32.7 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Allyn Cox
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure female
Object Number
1983.31.4
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1983.31.4

Artwork Description

This is a portrait of the wife of Kenyon Cox’s friend the painter Lowell Dyer. In 1880, Cox exhibited the painting in Philadelphia, and also entered it in a Paris show under the French title Dame en noir. This masterful portrait sketch focuses our eyes on Mrs. Dyer’s spirited expression and tilt of the head. Cox’s fast brushwork gives the lavish hat ribbons tied at her neck the same exuberance as his sitter’s personality.