Joseph Christian Leyendecker Paintings

These rare portraits were painted by the American master of illustration, J. C. Leyendecker, as studies for Kuppenheimer advertisements. Bold and energetic, they perfectly encapsulate Leyendecker’s signature style. Depicting a young aviator of the First World War at the left, and a vivacious young woman at right, possibly Leyendecker favorite Phyllis Frederic, these oils on canvas clearly illustrate a step in Leyendecker’s creative process. After creating rough sketches of his models in charcoal or pencil, he would select the most interesting ones, then use a grid to copy them onto a bigger board, enlarging them and experimenting with colors and position. These sketch sheets and canvases usually resembled puzzle pieces, and Leyendecker would then put the pieces together to create the final painting. A favorite with collectors, such sketches are exceptionally rare and truly delightful glimpses into Leyendecker’s work. A very similar aviator, possibly the finished work, graces the cover of the House of Kuppenheimer Fashion Catalog or "Style Book" of 1917. Joseph Christian Leyendecker was the most important American illustrator of the early 20th century. Revered by artists such as Norman Rockwell, who counted him as a personal mentor and friend, Leyendecker created the aesthetic of modern illustration, as well as two of the most iconic figures in advertising, the prize-winning Arrow Shirt Man and the News Year’s Baby. A contemporary of such illustrators as Charles Dana Gibson, N. C. Wyeth and Howard Pyle as colleagues and members of the Salmagundi Club, Leyendecker revolutionized the way products were bought and sold, and created icons that the country could identify with and rally around, especially during times of hardship and war. His style is unmistakable, combining wide, Impressionistic brushstrokes, Beaux Arts techniques, and an Asian chopmark-style signature, which alludes to his Art Nouveau influences. Born in Germany in 1874, Leyendecker 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, 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 here, he was exposed to and influenced by the works of Art Nouveau painters and printmakers 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 Champs 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 Saturday Evening Post magazine, which was the beginning of a 44-year association with that esteemed publication. Over the course of 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...

Date: July 4, 1908 Medium: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 27.25" x 21.00" Signature: Signed Lower Right The Saturday Evening Post cover, Holiday Edition, July ...

Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed Lower Center Bringing in the Turkey, Saturday Evening Post Cover, December 2, 1933 Exhibitions: The Society of Illustrators and Watson-Gup...

Looks Good for '48, Amoco ad illustration, 1948 This charming J. C. Leyendecker baby was used by Amoco, the American Oil Company, for their 1948 advertising campaign. The canvas h...