Lengthening Shadows

Kenyon Cox, Lengthening Shadows, 1888, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Ambrose Lansing, 1983.114.9
Copied Kenyon Cox, Lengthening Shadows, 1888, oil on canvas, 15 1430 14 in. (38.776.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Ambrose Lansing, 1983.114.9
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Artwork Details

Title
Lengthening Shadows
Artist
Date
1888
Dimensions
15 1430 14 in. (38.776.8 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Ambrose Lansing
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Landscape — time — twilight
  • Landscape — phenomenon — light
Object Number
1983.114.9

Artwork Description

Kenyon Cox intended to make his career as a figural painter. In the 1880s, however, his father persuaded him to spend several months painting in Bellaire, Ohio, because he believed that landscapes would bring in more money for the young artist. In Lengthening Shadows, Cox positioned the viewer at the highest point in the scene to emphasize the gentle, grassy slopes of Ohio's rolling hills. (Morgan, Kenyon Cox, 1856-1919: A Life in American Art, 1994) The soft, golden tones of green and the long shadows suggest it was painted at dusk, just before the sun completely disappeared over the horizon.