Study for "Science Instructing Industry" 1898

This graphite drawing by American artist Kenyon Cox is a study for his larger painting "Science Instructing Industry." The drawing, executed in 1898, shows a seated nude female figure, possibly representing Science, draped in a flowing garment and wearing a laurel wreath. The gridded paper suggests that Cox was working with precise measurements and proportions, a hallmark of academic art. This study offers insight into the artist's process and the evolution of his composition for the final painting, which is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.