Twin brother of Cyrus; studied with his brother at the same schools and graduated at the same time. Not only did the brothers resemble each other so closely in feature and action that it was difficult for one not intimate with them to distinguish one from the other, but they married two sisters. Darius began the study of art when his brother did, and they pursued their work side by side, generally in the same studio. Among the latter’s paintings are Judas in the Potter’s Field and King Lear (1877); Christ Before Pilate (1878), which last has been engraved; and Washington on Dorchester Heights (1880). In conjunction with Cyrus, he painted a rendering of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, which attracted much attention in Boston at the time. The portraits painted by Darius included one of Rufus Choate (1877), purchased by the Suffolk bar; of Governor Andrew (1868) and Professor Agassiz (1883), both purchased by Harvard University; and one of Charles Sumner and Henry Wilson, the latter bought in 1876 by the authorities of the native town of the distinguished Massachusetts Senator. Darius Cobb assisted his brother Cyrus in his musical work, lectured on art before New England lyceums, and for several years was art editor of the Boston Traveler. He wrote much, both in prose and verse, for various periodicals.
