Rudyard Kipling (1924-2008) was a prominent artist and direct descendant of the famous writer of the same name, Joseph Rudyard Kipling. The artist studied portrait painting in New York under Francis Criss, and was well known for his oil paintings and watercolors. 

He won several national awards for his work and was a Pulitzer Prize nominee. He was a member of the American Society of Portrait Artists and The American Society of Classical Realism