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Rockwell KentRockwell Kent was born in Tarrytown, New York, and studied art with William Merritt Chase, Robert Henri, Abbott Thayer, Arthur Wesley Dow, and Kenneth Hayes Miller. After leaving New York City, Kent moved to an Adirondack Farm he called Asgaard, living there until his death in 1971.
He loved the quietness and sheer beauty of the outdoors, traveling and living in places such as Newfoundland, Alaska, Tierra del Fuego, Monhegan Island, Maine, and Greenland, where he found inspiration for his art in painting, lithography, and wood engraving. As a writer his traveling experiences may be read in his books, Wilderness:A Journey of Quiet Adventure in Alaska, Voyaging Southwards from the Strait of Magellan, N by E, Of Men and Mountains, and It's Me, O Lord, an autobiography.
He was also known as an outstanding illustrator of books, providing artwork for editions of Erewhon, Moby Dick, Beowulf, and Leaves of Grass, among others.
Kent was a strong advocate of social justice and the working class, serving as president of the International Workers Order. He was black-listed by Senator Joseph McCarthy and his committee during the 1950's investigation of Un-American Activities, for his refusal to answer the accusation, that he was a member of the Communist Party. As a result his reputatution declined somewhat, but his strong feelings for leftist views and the common man remained prominent.
After his death, the New York Times described him as "... a thoughtful, troublesome, profoundly independent, odd and kind man who made an imperishable contribution to the art of bookmaking in the United States."
Reference: "Syracuse University Rockwell Kent Collection" and "Wilkepedia Encyclopedia"
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Rockwell Kent
American (1882-1971)
Starry Night
7 x 5 in.
Wood engraving, 1933, edition 1750. Burne Jones 103. Signed in pencil. Used as a subscription premium by the Literary Guild of America book club for subscribers.
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Rockwell Kent
American (1882-1971
Weltschmertz (Pain of the World)
13-7/8 x 9-3/4 in.
Lithograph, 1947, edition 100. Burne Jones 141. Signed and titled in pencil. In good condition aside from torn corners in the lower margin, well outside the image area.
$950. |
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Rockwell Kent
American (1882-1971)
Books Make the Home
13-5/8 x 11-3/8 in.
Printed in 1938 by George Miller from a drawing done in Alaska in 1920, as a process print. Published for the auction held for the benefit of German artists and writers. Signed on the plate, lower right; signed and titled in pencil. Printed on wove paper with full margins.
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Rockwell Kent
American (1882-1971)
And Now Where
13 x 9-3/8 in.
Lithograph, 1936, from the unsigned edition published by the American Artists Group with their seal on the verso, lower left corner. Burne Jones 110. Selected for Fine Prints of the Year, 1936, pl.97. Illustrated in America Today, 1936, pl.100. Printed on wove paper with a partial watermark, BFK. Full margins.
$500. |
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Rockwell Kent
American (1882-1971)
Self-Portrait (It's Me, O Lord)
13-3/8 x 9-3/4 in.
Lithograph, 1934, edition 150. Burne Jones 104. Signed and titled in pencil. Dedication in pencil, "to you, O Beverly and Lee Silverstein, with high regards" Printed on wove paper with a watermark, BFK France.. Full margins with deckle edges all around. In excellent condition. Sheet size: 22-3/4 x 16 in.
Illustrated in The Artist in America, Carl Zigrosser, 1942, pl.1 after p.48.
$3250. |
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Rockwell Kent
American (1882-1971)
Europe
14 x 10 in.
Lithograph, 1948, edition 100. Signed and titled in pencil. Burne Jones 138. In good condition other than some tape residue in the top corners of the upper margin. A dramatic, bold image with adequate margins. Printed by George Miller.
$1400. |
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