The Illustrations of Rockwell Kent: 231 Examples from Books, Magazines and Advertising Art (Dover Fine Art, History of Art) [Paperback]

Rockwell Kent (Author), Fridolf Johnson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2012 | Series: Dover Fine Art, History of Art

Rockwell Kent was generally considered the most important American book illustrator of the 1920s and 30s, gracing such works as Candide, Moby Dick, and The Canterbury Tales. This retrospective brings together his finest work for the first time, gathering pen-and-ink pieces and woodcuts from not only important novels, but magazines and advertisements. Introduction by Fridolf Johnson.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; 1ST edition (September 20, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486233057
• ISBN-13: 978-0486233055
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,048,483 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rockwell Kent: premier illustrator of the 1920s and 1930s, April 18, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Illustrations of Rockwell Kent: 231 Examples from Books, Magazines and Advertising Art (Dover Fine Art, History of Art) (Paperback)

My father had several Modern Library books that were illustrated by Rockwell Kent, including "Moby Dick" and "The Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer." For years I have assumed that those memorable plates were wood block prints, which seemed the best explanation for Kent's masterful use of black in his work. But reading "The Illustrations of Rockwell Kent: 231 Examples from Books, Magazines and Advertising Art" I am rather stunned to learn these are ink drawings. However, this only makes them even more impressive.

Rockwell Kent was arguably the most important American book illustrator of the 1920s and 1930s, although there are some early examples from 1914 and 1915 and work from as late as 1963, including some marvelous ship drawings for "A Treasury of Sea Stories." His art was highly individualized style of formalized realism that looks glorious in black & white. This volume represents the first time that the best of his illustrations from these various sources. In addition to the aforementioned classic books there are selections from "Candide," "Salamina," "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare," and "Goethe's Faust." But the volume includes lesser-known works such as "A Basket of Poses," "Venus and Adonis," and "To Thee, America!"

This is not simply a collection of Kent's illustrations. Fridolf Johnson, editor of "The American Artist," not only helped select this artwork, he also provides a detailed introductory essay tracing Kent's development as an illustrator along with captions for the illustrations and an annotated bibliography. Because the reproductions are in black & white there are some illustrations that were originally done with tints in two colors (e.g., "The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio), so that effect is lost. But if you did not read the captions you would never know the reproductions were lacking in any regard. This volume should be especially appealing to both those who remember stumbling upon Kent's distinctive artwork in former days, or those who are interested in what can be accomplished with black ink on white paper.