Charcoal drawing of a reclining nude woman with arm raised over her head, resting on a rounded form, with the inscription Michelangelo's Night in the lower right.

Study of Michelangelo's "Night" by Kenyon Cox

A charcoal and graphite drawing on aged cream paper shows a reclining nude female figure, her head tilted back and arm raised over her head, draped across a rounded stone form. Soft shading models the muscular limbs and torso, and the inscription 'Michelangelo's "Night"' with the artist's signature appears in the lower right.

Artist: Kenyon Cox
Date: 1879
Medium: Charcoal and graphite on cream laid paper
Source: Smithsonian (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum)
Size: 4000 × 3065 px

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Public domain · Smithsonian (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum) releases this image under CC0 (latest date 1879).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (Smithsonian Open Access)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Night and Dreams 19th century 1870s 1879 charcoal drawing figure study graphite drawing academic drawing kenyon cox life drawing sculpture study cream laid paper nude female figure

Study of Michelangelo's "Night" by Kenyon Cox

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