Rockwell Kent (1882-1971)
Illustration from This is My Own
Portfolio edition, 7 ½” x 9”
Produced by the National Council of American
Soviet Friendship, Inc., May, 1971
Gift of Daisy Aberlin
Framing by the Noble Maritime Collection

This is My Own
First edition, inscribed by the artist
Published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1940
Gift of Daisy Aberlin

Rockwell Kent (1882-1971) pursued many interests during his long career. He wrote and painted as he traveled extensively from Alaska to the southern tip of South America, and was well-known for his illustrations and prints. His work is in the collections of many major American museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery. Kent studied at William Merritt Chase’s School of Art and Columbia University. In 1918, while living in Alaska, he began making woodcuts, using the medium to depict themes of isolation and martyrdom in works infused with spirituality and his passionate love of nature. He also wrote his first book, Wilderness: A Journey of Quiet Adventure in Alaska, which brought him success and financial security, and he began accepting illustration commissions, including Moby Dick, The Canterbury Tales, Leaves of Grass, and The Complete Works of Shakespeare. He also worked for General Electric, Rolls Royce, Westinghouse, and the Federal Public Works Administration. Later Kent wrote and illustrated several of his own books including Voyaging Southwards from the Strait of Magellan, Salamina and N by E, and in 1950 he published This Is My Own, a semi-autobiographical book about his views on life and government.