Since installed in late June, Rockwell Kent continues to light up the Portland Museum of Art. To commemorate Kent’s move to Maine 100 years ago, the museum is running a multi-level exhibit dedicated to the work created by Kent. With visions spanning from Greenland to Alaska to right here in Maine, Kent’s paintings strongly focus on the way light plays on the landscapes.
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“[Kent] did something at a time that no one else was doing,” said Kristen Levesque, Director of Public Relations. “He had a real spirit of adventure.”
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Born in 1882 in Tarrytown Heights, New York, Kent sculpted an eclectic life for himself with occupations ranging from lobsterman to architect, ship’s carpenter to dairy farmer. Kent studied architecture at Columbia University in New York City, and it was around this time that his infatuation for art was at its strongest. In an effort to quench his artistic thirst, Kent enrolled at the Shinnecock Hills School. Once finished with art school, Kent was persuaded to move to Monhegan Island, Maine, where he was set free to paint on his own. Subsequently, Kent also painted some of his most memorable and famous pieces off the coast of Maine.
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“Monhegan Island is a muse because the landscape is incredibly beautiful, you’re surrounded by ocean, it’s Maine, the light.”
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Many of Kent’s pieces are oil on canvas paintings, and these are the ones that depict light the best. Among the pieces that show light the best are the ones of Alaska’s wilderness and the coast of Greenland. Kent envisioned Greenland as heaven after he became shipwrecked there, and returned frequently to paint Greenland’s vast landscape. Aside from painting landscapes of other countries, Kent found himself attached to the New England area. Kent’s in-laws lived in Berkshire, Massachusetts, and he painted Snow Fields (Winter in the Berkshires) on one of his routine visits in 1909. Kent also lived in southern Vermont, and painted an image of New Hampshire entitled Road Roller.
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During the age of McCarthyism, Kent was accused of harboring communist sentiment, and consequently, lost some of credibility as an “American artist.” At the time, many museums refused to purchase any of paintings, so he sent them off to Russia where his art would be appreciated.
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During the rest of life, his art graced the pages of Life Magazine, emblems for stocks and political cartoons, for which he used his
pseudo name, Hogarth Jr. Among
other drawings of his, his most
famous illustrations, arguably, are
those he drew of Moby Dick and
Paul Bunyan. All of these paintings
and more can be found all over
the first and second floor of the
museum.
As far as Portland’s response
to Kent’s work, Levesque says that
it has been “fabulous.”
“I think he appeals to people
who like illustrations,” said
Levesque. “You can look at his
work and appreciate it because
there is a lot of realism in it.”
Rockwell Kent: The Mythic
and the Modern will be running at
the Portland Museum of Art until
October 16th and is free to all USM
students.
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