Rockwell Kent "Beowulf and Grendel's Mother", 1931, Metal Frame

Rockwell Kent, (1882-1971) was born in Plattsburgh, New York). As a painterand printmaker his work was captured scenes of nature and adventure with a sense of drama that made him one of the most popular American artists of the first half of the 20th century. Kent studied architecture at Columbia University but turned to painting and was a pupil of William M. Chase, Robert Henri, and Abbott Thayer. Best known as an artist and illustrator he worked as an architectural draftsman, as a lobsterman and carpenter on the coast of Maine, and as a ship’s carpenter. He explored the waters about Tierra del Fuego in a small boat and lived in Newfoundland, Alaska, and Greenland, drawing heavily upon these experiences for his paintings and travel books. Kent’s human figures, which appear sparingly in his work, often signify mythic themes, such as heroism, loneliness, and individualism.