1917
Joseph Christian "J.C." Leyendecker was born in Germany in 1874. He immigrated to the United States with his family in 1882. His eldest brother, Adolph, became a prominent stained glass artist, and Joe, as he was called, had an early artistic calling.
After studying at the Chicago Art Institute under John H. Vanderpoel, J.C. Leyendecker enrolled at the Académie Julien in 1896, where he studied for a year with his younger brother Frank in the Beaux-Arts tradition. During his time there, he was exposed to and influenced by the works of Art Nouveau painters and printmakers Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Jules Chéret and Alphonse Mucha, with whom he formed a strong friendship. The next year, he staged his first one-man exhibition at the Salon du Champ-de-Mars and made the auspicious acquaintance of Paul Gauguin.
In 1898, Leyendecker produced the first of 48 covers for Collier’s magazine. The next year, he painted his first cover for The Saturday Evening Post magazine, which was the beginning of a 44-year association with that esteemed publication. Throughout his career, he would also paint covers for Life magazine, illustrations for a library of books, and transform advertising for such companies as B. Kuppenheimer & Co. and Interwoven Socks. His work for Arrow Shirt is the most well-known and beloved.
Using his lover and manager, Charles Beach, as a model, Leyendecker created the ultimate image of modern American masculinity. His work for Kuppenheimer, also known as the House of Kuppenheimer, is just as iconic. Founded in 1876, the company became the manufacturer of uniforms for the United States Army during World War I. Thanks to Leyendecker's advertising, the firm became synonymous with the ultimate in male taste and desirability.
Unfortunately, near the end of his career, as Leyendecker’s associations with Collier’s and The Saturday Evening Post came to an end, his work fell into obscurity. When he died in 1951, his great friend Norman Rockwell, who commemorated their relationship in his painting Waiting for the Art Editor, served as one of his pallbearers.
Find original J.C. Leyendecker prints and paintings on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by M.S. Rau)
Study for 'Who, Me Work?' Saturday Evening Post Cover
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Oil on Board Signature: Signed Center Left Study for Saturday Evening Post Cover 'Who, Me Work?' January 23, 1926
Oil, Board
Study for Saturday Evening Post Cover, Peeling Apples
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Date: Nov 28, 1925 Medium: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 14.00" x 11.20" Signature: Unsigned Study for Saturday Evening Post Cover, November 28, 1925
Canvas, Oil
The Story Teller, The Saturday Evening Post Cover Study, December 1, 1934
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Unsigned Study for the Saturday Evening Post Cover, December 1, 1934
Canvas, Oil
Basting the Turkey, Saturday Evening Post Cover Study
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Oil on Canvas Laid on Board Signature: Unsigned The Saturday Evening Post, November 16, 1912 cover Study (Thanksgiving Edition)
Canvas, Oil, Board
Sore Throat, Saturday Evening Post Cover
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Signed by Artist Lower Right Saturday Evening Post Cover, November 22, 1930
Oil
The Politician, Saturday Evening Post Cover, 1916
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed Lower Right Cover of The Saturday Evening Post, November 4, 1916 Literature: The Saturday Evening Post, November 4, 1916, illustrated on the ...
Canvas, Oil
Medicine (Sepia) Lithograph Print, American Impressionist, Signed AP Edition
By Norman Rockwell
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand signed and numbered by the artist. From Tom Sawyer Portfolio. Sheet size 25.5 x 19.5 inches. Image size approx 17 x 13 inches. Frame size approx 28 x 24 inches. AP edition. ...
Paper, Lithograph
Preliminary Study for the painting Rose and Gold, 1913
By William McGregor Paxton
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Preliminary Study for the painting Rose and Gold, 1913 Graphite on paper, 1913 Signed in pencil lower left (see photo) Titlted "Lizzy Young" in pencil upper left (see photo) Lizzy was a modle that Paxton depicts numerous times. The painting that this drawing is related to, is illustrated in Lee & Krause, William McGregor Paxton, 1869-1941, Plate 32, text on page 132. The painting was formerly in the collection of Victor Spark and the Honorable Paul Buchanan. It is currently in a Texas Collection. Provenance: Private Collection, Florida William McGregor Paxton (June 22, 1869 – 1941) was an American painter and instructor who embraced the Boston School paradigm and was a co-founder of The Guild of Boston Artists. He taught briefly while a student at Cowles Art School, where he met his wife Elizabeth Okie Paxton, and at the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston. Paxton is known for his portraits, including those of two presidents—Grover Cleveland and Calvin Coolidge—and interior scenes with women, including his wife. His works are in many museums in the United States. Early life He was born on June 22, 1869, in Baltimore to James and Rose Doherty Paxton. William's father moved the Paxton family and established a catering business in Newton Corner, Massachusetts, in the mid-1870s. Education Paxton attended Cowles Art School on a scholarship he attained at the age of 18. He studied with Dennis Miller Bunker...
Graphite
Vogue Magazine Cover – March 1, 1917 – Illustration by Frank X. Leyendecker
Located in Langweer, NL
Vogue Magazine Cover – March 1, 1917 – Illustration by Frank X. Leyendecker Elegant original Vogue magazine cover from March 1, 1917, featuring an exquisite illustration by Frank Xa...
Paper
Original Saturday Evening Post, 1939 newstand authentic poster, linen backed
By Norman Rockwell
Located in Spokane, WA
Original 1939 The Saturday Evening Post newsstand vintage poster. Archival linen backed in excellent condition. Never folded and no restoration. Grade A. Rare and charming origi...
Offset
Young boy at Loemboeng, 1918
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Young boy at Loemboeng, 1918 Signed with initials and dated, bottom right Black chalk on paper, 25.7 x 10 cm Literature: W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, Zwerftochten door Timor en Onderhoori...
Paper, Graphite
Law Student 1976 Signed Limited Edition Lithograph
By Norman Rockwell
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Artist: Norman Rockwell Title: Law Student Year created: 1976 Signed by the artist Medium: 10-Color Lithograph on papier d'Arches Edition: 9/200 Height (inches): 32½ Width (inches): 23¾ This piece is unframed Born in New York City in 1894, Norman Rockwell always wanted to be an artist. At age 14, Rockwell enrolled in art classes at The New York School...
Lithograph
