Charles Arthur Cox (born 1829) was born in Liverpool, England. He was known as a historical painter, an illustrator and a landscape painter, and is credited with the preservation of many depictions of landscapes of historical interest for Texas. One of his leading projects was a series of illustrations of "Evangeline" by Longfellow. In addition, Cox was an art teacher. He studied and later taught at the national Art Training-Schools of South Kensington, London. He also taught painting in Boulder, Colorado. He got persuaded to teach a class in watercolor painting, and he was eagerly accepted by the young ladies of the city. He taught for about 10 years. Cox later became a cotton broker and moved to Norfolk, Virginia. He was very successful in this trade and decided to move to one of the largest cotton growing regions in Waco, Texas.
It was during his time in Waco that he organized the Waco Art League, which is still in existence today. In 1901 Cox became very ill and at the recommendation of his doctor he undertook a trip to the mountains of Colorado. Unfortunately his condition did not improve and he died there, in August of the same year. His body was returned to Waco and buried in Oakwood Cemetery. In 1983 a room was dedicated in the restored C. C. McCulloch Mansion by the Historic Waco Foundation as the C. A. Cox Gallery, where about twenty of his (Cox's) paintings are exhibited permanently. His work is also found in many other galleries around the world.
