Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
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)
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
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1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
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20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
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1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
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Late 20th Century American Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Modern Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
20th Century American Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
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Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
Agate, Metal
1970s Vintage Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
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Early 20th Century American Modern Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
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Early 20th Century American Art Deco Joseph Christian Leyendecker Furniture
