Rockwell Kent Art

Whitman, Walt. The Leaves of Grass. Norwalk: Easton Press, 1977. The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written. Collector's Edition. Illustrations by Rockwell Kent. Bound in original full gree...

Kent, Rockwell. N by E. New York: New York Literary Guild, 1930. Printed by Lakeside Press, Chicago. First trade edition. In the publisher's original tan boards, embossed in green to...

Wood engraving on Japan paper, 1928. Edition of 100. Signed by the artist in pencil, lower right. Framed dimension is 14.5 x 17.25 inches, with full margins. Catalogue raisonne r...

A stunning Art Deco box made out of brass with etched image by Kent made in 1928 for A.G. Spalding Bros, 52p Fifth Ave and executed by Chade Brass. The engraved image is of "Sally"...

Rockwell Kent, 'Starry Night' wood engraving, 1933, edition 1750, Burne Jones 103. Signed in pencil. A brilliant, black impression, on cream wove Japan paper; with margins (7/8 to 1 ...

Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick. New York: Random House, 1930. Illustrated by Rockwell Kent. First trade edition (thus). Octavo. Original publisher’s pictorial black cloth boards, stamped in silver. Original pictorial dust jacket. Presented with new archival ¼ leather and cloth clamshell case, with raised bands, gilt tooling and titles to spine. Presented is a first trade edition (thus) of Moby-Dick; Or, the Whale by Herman Melville. First published in 1851, the book was reissued by Lakeside Press in 1930 in a three-volume limited edition, the first to feature Rockwell Kent's beautiful illustrations and limited to only 1000 copies. The limited edition quickly sold out and was followed by an equally popular one-volume trade edition, published later that year by Random House and printed by Lakeside Press. These two illustrated Rockwell Kent editions helped establish Moby-Dick as an American classic. The book featured here is the small format, one-volume first trade edition (thus), filled with Kent’s numerous illustrations. It is presented in the publisher’s original pictorial black cloth boards, stamped in silver, with the original illustrated dust jacket, and a new archival ¼ leather and clamshell case. Herman Melville began writing Moby-Dick in February of 1850. In preparation for his book, Melville spent a substantial amount of time researching the whaling business on a whole. The historical ship, Essex, that was attacked by a sperm whale in 1820 was a major inspiration for much of Melville’s plot. Even the memorable name of the monstrous whale in the story is derived from a historically aggressive whale off the coast of Chile named Mocha Dick. Melville also drew inspiration from his own time as a sailor in the 1840s. The book was first published in three volumes as The Whale in London in October 1851, by Richard Bentley. In November of that same year, it was published in New York under its definitive title, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, in a single-volume edition by Harper and Brothers. Moby-Dick was not a critical or popular success in Melville’s lifetime. Fewer than 4,000 copies were sold and the book was decades out of print by the turn of the twentieth century. The novel eventually received a positive reception from readers, literary figures, and critics in the 1920s. Most notably, biographer Raymond M. Weaver’s August 1919 article in The Nation, titled “The Centennial of Herman Melville,” and his subsequent full-length biography helped launch the “Melville Revival” of the 1920s. Moby-Dick was also well considered in critic Carl Van Doren’s discussion of “The American Novel” in 1921 and novelist D. H. Lawrence’s “Studies in Classic American Literature” in 1923. With the help of these 1920s literary tastemakers, Melville and Moby-Dick were rescued from historical obscurity and secured their place in the American literary canon. As Moby-Dick came to be viewed as a great work of American literature, it started to appear in expensive editions geared toward collectors of rare and special books. When Lakeside Press decided to launch their "Four American Books" campaign, they reached out to painter and illustrator Rockwell Kent. Lakeside Press asked Kent to design an illustrated edition of Richard Henry Dana...

Rockwell Kent Figure Study Estate stamped lower right Ink on paper 6 x 10 inches Rockwell Kent, though best known as an artist and illustrator, pursued many careers throughout his long life, including architect, carpenter, explorer, writer, dairy farmer, and political activist. Born in Tarrytown, New York, Kent was interested in art from a young age. These ambitions were encouraged by his aunt Jo Holgate, an accomplished ceramicist. Jo came to live with the family after Kent’s father passed away in 1887 and took him to Europe as a teenager. Kent attended the Horace Mann School in New York City, where he excelled at mechanical drawing. His family’s financial circumstances prevented him from pursuing career in the fine arts, however, and after graduating from Horace Mann in 1900, Kent decided to study architecture at Columbia University. Before matriculating at Columbia, Kent spent the first of three consecutive summers studying painting at William Merritt Chase’s art school in Shinnecock Hills, Long Island. There he found a community of mentors and fellow students who encouraged him to pursue his interest in art. At the end of Kent’s third summer at Shinnecock, Chase offered him a full scholarship to the New York School of Art, where he was a teacher. Kent began taking night classes at the art school in addition to his architecture studies, but soon left Columbia to study painting full time. In addition to Chase, Kent took classes with Robert Henri (American, 1865 - 1929) and Kenneth Hayes Miller (American, 1876 - 1952). His classmates included the artists George Bellows (American, 1882 - 1925) and Edward Hopper (American, 1882 - 1967). Kent spent the summer of 1903 assisting the painter Abbott Handerson Thayer (American, 1849 - 1921) at his studio in Dublin, New Hampshire—a position he secured through the recommendation of his Aunt Jo. Thayer gave the young artist time to pursue his own work, and that summer Kent painted several views of the New Hampshire landscape, including Mount Monadnock. In 1905 Kent moved from New York to Monhegan Island in Maine, home to a summer art colony, where he continued to find inspiration in the natural world. Kent soon found success exhibiting and selling his paintings in New York and in 1907 was given his first solo show at Claussen Galleries. The following year he married his first wife, Kathleen Whiting (Thayer’s niece), with whom he had five children. The couple divorced in 1924, and Kent married Frances Lee the following year. They in turn divorced after 15 years of marriage, and the artist then married Sally Johnstone. For the next several decades, Kent lived a peripatetic lifestyle, settling in several locations in Connecticut, Maine, and New York. During this time he took a number of extended voyages to remote, often ice-filled, corners of the globe, including Newfoundland, Alaska, Tierra del Fuego, and Greenland, to which he made three separate trips. For Kent, exploration and artistic production were twinned endeavors, and his travels to these rugged, rural locales provided inspiration for both his visual art and his writings. He developed a stark, realist landscape style in his paintings and drawings that revealed both nature’s harshness and its sublimity. Kent’s human figures, which appear sparingly in his work, often signify mythic themes, such as heroism, loneliness, and individualism. Important exhibitions of works from these travels include the Knoedler Gallery’s shows in 1919 and 1920, featuring Kent’s Alaska drawings...

Rockwell Kent, 'Mountain Climber', wood engraving, 1933, edition 250, Burne Jones 93. Signed in pencil. A brilliant, black impression, on cream, wove Japan paper; the full sheet with margins (2 9/16 to 3 5/8 inches); slight skinning at the top sheet edge verso, where previously hinged; otherwise, in excellent condition. Archivally matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 7 7/8 x 5 7/8 inches (200 x 149 mm); sheet size 14 x 11 1/8 inches (356 x 283 mm). Printed by Pynson Printers, New York. Distributed by The Print Club of Cleveland, Publication No. 11, 1933. Literature: 'Rockwellkentiana,' Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York, 1933. '101 of The World’s Greatest Books', edited by Spencer Armstrong, 1950. Impressions of this work are held in the following museum collections: Akron Art Institute, Burne Jones Collection, IL; Cincinnati Art Museum; Cleveland Museum of Art; Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; Davis Museum at Wellesley College; Fine Art Museums of San Francisco; H. M. de Young Museum; Hermitage Museum; Kent Collection, NY; Library of Congress; Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester; Metropolitan Museum of Art; New York Public Library; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Princeton University Library; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Spector Collection, NY; SUNY, Plattsburg. ABOUT THE ARTIST Rockwell Kent (1882-1971), though best known as a painter, graphic artist, and illustrator, pursued many careers throughout his life, including architect, carpenter, explorer, writer, dairy farmer, and political activist. Born in Tarrytown, New York, Kent was interested in art from a young age. These ambitions were encouraged by his aunt Jo Holgate, an accomplished ceramicist. Jo came to live with the family after Kent’s father passed away in 1887 and took him to Europe as a teenager, undoubtedly kindling his interest in exploring the world. Kent attended the Horace Mann School in New York City, where he excelled at mechanical drawing. His family’s financial circumstances prevented him from pursuing a career in the fine arts; however, after graduating from Horace Mann in 1900, Kent decided to study architecture at Columbia University. Before matriculating at Columbia, Kent spent the first of three consecutive summers studying painting at William Merritt Chase’s art school in Shinnecock Hills, Long Island. There he found a community of mentors and fellow students who encouraged him to pursue his interest in art. At the end of Kent’s third summer at Shinnecock, Chase offered him a full scholarship to the New York School of Art, where he was a teacher. Kent began taking night classes at the art school in addition to his architecture studies but soon left Columbia to study painting full-time. In addition to Chase, Kent took classes with Robert Henri and Kenneth Hayes Miller, where his classmates included the artists George Bellows and Edward Hopper. Kent spent the summer of 1903 assisting the eccentric painter Abbott Handerson Thayer at his studio in Dublin, New Hampshire—a position he secured through the recommendation of his Aunt Jo. Thayer’s naturalist lifestyle and almost mystical appreciation for natural phenomena greatly influenced Kent; he returned to Dublin for many years to visit Thayer and his family. Thayer gave the young artist time to pursue his work, and that summer Kent painted several views of the New Hampshire landscape, including Mount Monadnock. In 1905 Kent moved from New York to Monhegan Island in Maine, home to a summer art colony, where he continued to find inspiration in nature. Kent soon found success exhibiting and selling his paintings in New York, and in 1907, he was given his first solo show at Claussen Galleries. The following year he married his first wife, Kathleen Whiting (Thayer’s niece), with whom he had five children. The couple divorced in 1924, and Kent married Frances Lee the following year. They divorced after 15 years of marriage, and the artist married Sally Johnstone. For the next several decades, Kent lived a peripatetic lifestyle, settling in several locations in Connecticut, Maine, and New York. During this time he took several extended voyages to remote, often ice-filled, corners of the globe, including Newfoundland, Alaska, Tierra del Fuego, and Greenland, to which he made three separate trips. For Kent, exploration and artistic production were twinned endeavors, and his travels to these rugged, elemental locations inspired his visual art and his writings. He developed a stark, realist landscape style in his paintings and drawings that revealed both nature’s harshness and its sublimity. Kent’s human figures, which appear sparingly in his work, often allude to the mythic themes of isolation, individualism, heroism, and the quest for self-connection. Important exhibitions of works from these travels include the Knoedler Gallery’s shows in 1919 and 1920, featuring Kent’s Alaska drawings...

1938 "Books Make the Home" print by Rockwell Kent. American, 1882-1971. Signed in print & in pencil, lower right. Not examined out of frame. Image: 13 11/16" x 11 6/16". Frame: 21 3/...

"An incredibly rare piece of American Art Deco history. A "Bacchus" cigarette box designed by Rockwell Kent (American, 1882-1971) for the Chase Company. On...

A lookout starkly rendered in the art deco style straddles the mast of a ship as he surveys the landscape. Rockwell Kent's wood engraving issued in 1930 in an edition of 120. it is ...

Rockwell Kent, 'Mountain Climber', wood engraving, 1933, edition 250, Burne Jones 93. Signed in pencil. A brilliant, black impression, on cream, wove Japan paper; the full sheet with margins (2 9/16 to 3 5/8 inches); in excellent condition. Image size 7 7/8 x 5 7/8 inches (200 x 149 mm); sheet size 14 x 11 1/8 inches (356 x 283 mm). Archivally matted to museum standards, unframed. Printed by Pynson Printers, New York. Distributed by The Print Club of Cleveland, Publication No. 11, 1933. Literature: 'Rockwellkentiana,' Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York, 1933. '101 of The World’s Greatest Books, edited by Spencer Armstrong, 1950. Impressions of this work are held in the following museum collections: Akron Art Institute, Burne Jones Collection, IL; Cincinnati Art Museum; Cleveland Museum of Art; Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; Davis Museum at Wellesley College; Fine Art Museums of San Francisco; H. M. de Young Museum; Hermitage Museum; Kent Collection, NY; Library of Congress; Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester; Metropolitan Museum of Art; New York Public Library; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Princeton University Library; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Spector Collection, NY; SUNY, Plattsburg. ABOUT THE ARTIST Rockwell Kent (1882-1971), though best known as a painter, graphic artist, and illustrator, pursued many careers throughout his life, including architect, carpenter, explorer, writer, dairy farmer, and political activist. Born in Tarrytown, New York, Kent was interested in art from a young age. These ambitions were encouraged by his aunt Jo Holgate, an accomplished ceramicist. Jo came to live with the family after Kent’s father passed away in 1887 and took him to Europe as a teenager, undoubtedly kindling his interest in exploring the world. Kent attended the Horace Mann School in New York City, where he excelled at mechanical drawing. His family’s financial circumstances prevented him from pursuing a career in the fine arts; however, after graduating from Horace Mann in 1900, Kent decided to study architecture at Columbia University. Before matriculating at Columbia, Kent spent the first of three consecutive summers studying painting at William Merritt Chase’s art school in Shinnecock Hills, Long Island. There he found a community of mentors and fellow students who encouraged him to pursue his interest in art. At the end of Kent’s third summer at Shinnecock, Chase offered him a full scholarship to the New York School of Art, where he was a teacher. Kent began taking night classes at the art school in addition to his architecture studies but soon left Columbia to study painting full-time. In addition to Chase, Kent took classes with Robert Henri and Kenneth Hayes Miller, where his classmates included the artists George Bellows and Edward Hopper. Kent spent the summer of 1903 assisting the eccentric painter Abbott Handerson Thayer at his studio in Dublin, New Hampshire—a position he secured through the recommendation of his Aunt Jo. Thayer’s naturalist lifestyle and almost mystical appreciation for natural phenomena greatly influenced Kent; he returned to Dublin for many years to visit Thayer and his family. Thayer gave the young artist time to pursue his work, and that summer Kent painted several views of the New Hampshire landscape, including Mount Monadnock...