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Joseph Christian Leyendecker Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

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)

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Artist: Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Easter, Saturday Evening Post Cover April 19, 1930
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed Lower Right Saturday Evening Post Cover, April 19, 1930
Category

1930s Joseph Christian Leyendecker Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Collier's Christmas Number, Unpublished Cover
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Watercolor and Metallic Paint on Paper Signature: Signed Lower Right
Category

1890s Joseph Christian Leyendecker Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paint, Paper, Watercolor

Man in Tie
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Drawing Signature: Signed Lower Right Contact for dimensions.
Category

20th Century Joseph Christian Leyendecker Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

In the Luxembourg Gardens, Paris
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Pen and Ink on Paper Signature: 11.00" x 11.50" Dimensions: Signed Initials Upper Right
Category

Mid-20th Century Joseph Christian Leyendecker Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink, Paper, Pen

Man in Tie
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Unknown Signature: Signed Lower Right Man in Tie, study by Joseph Christian Leyendecker. Contact for exact dimensions of this piece.
Category

20th Century Joseph Christian Leyendecker Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Charcoal

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Joseph Christian Leyendecker drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Joseph Christian Leyendecker drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Joseph Christian Leyendecker in paint, paper, canvas and more. Not every interior allows for large Joseph Christian Leyendecker drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 1 inch across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Federico Castellon, Mary Spain, and Howard Chandler Christy. Joseph Christian Leyendecker drawings and watercolor paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $19,000 and tops out at $600,000, while the average work can sell for $39,000.

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