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Student Artwork Guide

Plant Study 1

David Cox

Name Class Date
David Cox, Plant Study 1. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
David Cox topimpressionists.com/en/artists/david-cox/
Artist’s dates
1783 – 1859
Movement
Impressionism Painters working fast and outdoors to catch how light actually looked at one moment, rather than finishing smoothly in a studio.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. David Cox died in 1859; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1929.

Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 21, 2026

Plant Study 1 — David Cox Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Plant Study 1 — David Cox

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1780
  2. 1790
  3. 1800
  4. 1810
  5. 1820
  6. 1830
  7. 1840
  8. 1850

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 76 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of David Cox (1783–1859) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1829 Main working years: 1829–1849 Late works: from 1849

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/david-cox-plant-study-1-8LHR3N-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Sap Green #60634e

    Catalogued palette

    • #60634E
    • #C6B99C
    • #9A9377
    • #3A3F31

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Main colour name
    Sap Green
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Balanced How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Subtle Color How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by David Cox over the last twelve months — 7 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 83.8%
    2. 2 United States of America 5.8%
    3. 3 Singapore 3.9%
    4. 4 United Kingdom 2.6%
    5. 5 Hong Kong 2.6%
    6. 6 Mexico 0.6%
    7. 7 Sweden 0.6%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by David Cox

    1. 1 Stepping Stones, Bettws-y-Coed, 1857 1.9%
    2. 2 Landscape With Windmill 1.9%
    3. 3 Houses At Knaresborough 1.9%
    4. 4 Moonlight Landscape, 1850 1.3%
    5. 5 St. Eustache, Paris, 1829 1.3%
    6. 6 Gipsies on Dulwich Common, 1808 1.3%
    7. 7 The Wyndcliff, River Wye, 1842 1.3%
    8. 8 Shipping On The Sheldt, Dort Church In The Distance 1.3%
    9. 9 A View of the Pavillon de Flore and the Tuileries from the Seine, Notre Dame, Paris, 1829 1.3%
    10. 10 On the Moors, near Bettws-y-Coed, 1856 1.3%
    11. 11 Tour d'Horloge, Rouen, 1829 1.3%
    12. 12 Going to the Hayfield, 1850 1.3%
    13. 13 Knaresborough Castle, Yorkshire 1.3%
    14. 14 A Cock Pheasant 1.3%
    15. 15 Assorted Studies 1.3%
    16. 16 The Pump Room, Bath 1 1.3%
    17. 17 Landscape With Salmon Traps 1.3%
    18. 18 Old Houses And Wye Bridge, Hereford 1.3%
    19. 19 Near Dulwich 1.3%
    20. 77 Plant Study 1 this painting 0.6%

    Together these works take 27.1% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 492 works by this artist, of which 130 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 77 of them, with 0.6% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 21, 2026

    Plant Study 1 — David Cox Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    David Cox

    Born in Birmingham, United Kingdom

    David Cox: A Life in Landscape

    Early Life and Training

    Born: April 29, 1783, in Deritend, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

    David Cox’s father was a blacksmith and whitesmith supplying components to the Birmingham gun trade. His mother, from a farming background, possessed a superior education and strong character.

    He initially enrolled at the academy of Joseph Barber in Great Charles Street, where he met fellow students Charles Barber and William Radclyffe.

    At age 15, Cox became apprenticed to Albert Fielder, a Birmingham painter specializing in portrait miniatures and decorative paintings for objects like snuffboxes. This early training provided him with foundational skills.

    Career Development & Artistic Journey

    In 1804, Cox moved to London and married his landlord’s daughter, Mary Ragg.

    A pivotal trip to Wales in 1805 with Charles Barber marked the beginning of numerous sketching tours throughout his lifetime. These travels profoundly influenced his artistic style.

    He regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1805, initially earning a living as a drawing master. Colonel Hon. H. Windsor became one of his first pupils in 1808.

    Cox’s early work focused on detailed watercolor landscapes, often depicting rural scenes and architectural subjects.

    Artistic Style & Influences

    Cox's style evolved over time. He moved from precise topographical depictions to a more expressive and atmospheric approach.

    Influences: While specific influences are debated, his work demonstrates an affinity for the Dutch landscape painters of the 17th century and a keen observation of nature reminiscent of Constable.

    He became known for his loose brushwork, vibrant colors, and ability to capture the effects of light and weather. His later oil paintings were particularly innovative.

    Major Achievements & Legacy

    Cox painted over 300 works in oil towards the end of his career, now recognized as “one of the greatest, but least recognised, achievements of any British painter.”

    He is considered one of the greatest English landscape painters and a major figure of the Golden Age of English Watercolour.

    His work significantly influenced subsequent generations of landscape artists.

    Notable Works: The Wind on the Heath, Cottage in Herefordshire, Junction of the Severn and the Wye with Chepstow in the distance, and Moonlight Landscape are among his most celebrated paintings.

    Historical Significance

    David Cox is recognized as an early precursor to Impressionism. His emphasis on capturing fleeting atmospheric effects and his loose brushwork anticipated many of the techniques later adopted by the Impressionists.

    He played a crucial role in establishing British landscape painting as a distinct genre, moving away from purely topographical representations towards more expressive and emotional interpretations of nature.

    His work continues to be admired for its beauty, sensitivity, and enduring appeal.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Plant Study 1

    topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/david-cox-plant-study-1-8LHR3N-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Cox, David. Plant Study 1. n.d., https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/david-cox-plant-study-1-8LHR3N-en/
    APA
    Cox, David (n.d.). Plant Study 1 [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/david-cox-plant-study-1-8LHR3N-en/
    Chicago
    David Cox. Plant Study 1. n.d. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/david-cox-plant-study-1-8LHR3N-en/
    Harvard
    Cox, David (n.d.) Plant Study 1. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/david-cox-plant-study-1-8LHR3N-en/

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 21, 2026

    Plant Study 1 — David Cox Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Plant Study 1 — David Cox

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: botanical study, leaf detail, nature scene. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at The Wyndcliff, River Wye (1842), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Impressionism: Painters working fast and outdoors to catch how light actually looked at one moment, rather than finishing smoothly in a studio. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 21, 2026

    Plant Study 1 — David Cox Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    How does "Plant Study 1" by David Cox connect Impressionism to the artist's home country?

    The Impressionism work "Plant Study 1" was made by an artist born in United Kingdom.

    Can the image of "Plant Study 1" by David Cox be freely reproduced?

    The copyright answer for "Plant Study 1" by David Cox: the work is in the public domain - its copyright has expired. This determines whether reproductions of the image may be freely made.

    What color leads the composition of "Plant Study 1" by David Cox?

    sap green (#60634e) is the leading color of "Plant Study 1" by David Cox.