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Joseph Christian Leyendecker

American, 1874-1951

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 Saturday Evening Post Cover 'Boy with Lantern'
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
This is a study for the 1926 Christmas issue of The Saturday Evening Post. December 25, 1926 Joseph Christian Leyendecker’s illustrations and advertisements fueled a collective visu...
Category

1920s Joseph Christian Leyendecker

Materials

Oil

Kuppenheimer Men's Clothing Advertisement study
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Study of Kuppenheimer Men's Clothing Advertisement
Category

1920s Joseph Christian Leyendecker

Materials

Oil

First Long Suit, Post Cover
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Signed by Artist Lower Right The Saturday Evening Post cover, September 18, 1937 One of the most prolific and sought-after artists of the Golden Age of Illustration, J.C. Leyendecker captivates the public with his striking, fashionable depictions of handsome men, glamorous women, and adorable children. Painted in 1937 First Long Suit not only encapsulates the high-fashion, glamorous fantasy world that Leyendecker strove to achieve over the course of his vastly successful career, it also poignantly captures a bittersweet moment that every parent experiences--watching our children grow up right before our eyes. Born in Montabaur, Germany, Leyendecker came to Chicago with his Catholic family at age eight. He apprenticed to a printer, J. Manz and Co., and then studied with John Vanderpoel at the Chicago Art Institute. In 1896, he won the Century magazine...
Category

1930s Joseph Christian Leyendecker

Materials

Oil

Study for 'King of the Beach' Post Cover
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
This is a preparatory study for King of the Beach, the cover illustration for the September 3, 1932 issue of The Saturday Evening Post.
Category

1930s Joseph Christian Leyendecker

Materials

Oil

Circus Dog, The Saturday Evening Post cover
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Signed by artist lower right The Saturday Evening Post cover, July 29, 1922 This commission for The Saturday Evening Post is a brill...
Category

1920s Joseph Christian Leyendecker

Materials

Oil

Woman and Tiger
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Signed by artist lower left. The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine Cover
Category

Early 1900s Joseph Christian Leyendecker

Materials

Oil, Gouache

Kellogg's Advertisement
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Little boy eating bowl of Kelloggs
Category

1910s Joseph Christian Leyendecker

Materials

Oil

Study of General Douglas MacArthur
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Final version eventually becoming part of nationally known "Leyendecker MacArthur Series" by Timken Roller Bearing Company. Unsigned. Bottom border features a pair cat sketches.
Category

1940s Joseph Christian Leyendecker

Materials

Oil

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Joseph Christian Leyendecker art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Joseph Christian Leyendecker art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange, green and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Joseph Christian Leyendecker in paint, oil paint, canvas and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Joseph Christian Leyendecker art, so small editions measuring 1 inch across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Clarence Holbrook Carter, Nahum Tschacbasov, and Frank Arnold. Joseph Christian Leyendecker art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $6,900 and tops out at $855,000, while the average work can sell for $98,000.

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