Solar Fade-Out 1937

This lithograph by Rockwell Kent gives us a glimpse into a community in what looks like the arctic. I am really interested in how the light appears to ripple outward from the sun. Imagine the kind of hand movements needed to make those radiating lines. Do you think he started with the sun and moved outwards or built up to the sun at the end? Did he use a ruler? The image shows how nature is experienced by different communities. When I look at this, I wonder what Kent was thinking about when he made it. Was he interested in different cultures, spirituality, or how humans respond to environmental phenomena? I feel like Kent is in conversation with other artists who attempt to depict light, like Turner. It really opens up how artists build on the ideas of artists that came before them.