One of the most prolific and sought-after artists of the Golden Age of
American Illustration, Joseph Christian (J.C.) Leyendecker captivated
the public with his striking images and fashionable depictions of
handsome men and glamorous women. With his instantly identifiable
style—“The Leyendecker Look”—he helped shape the image of a
nation, created dozens of enduring icons, and created some of the
earliest national advertising brands. Leyendecker was talented at
self-promotion and quickly established an easily identifiable style.
His approach to his own career influenced an entire generation of
younger artists, most notably Norman Rockwell, who began his own
career by specifically emulating Leyendecker. Born in 1874 in
Montabaur, Germany, J.C. immigrated to Chicago in 1882 with his
parents and three siblings. Showing an early artistic talent, J.C. and
his youngest brother studied at the Art Institute of Chicago before
moving to Paris where they developed their distinctive styles. Upon
returning to the United States, the brothers entered a publishing
renaissance and soon found themselves at its center, New York City. In
1914, they moved into a fourteen-room house in New Rochelle, New York,
along with Charles Beach, a model who would become J.C.’s muse and
domestic partner for forty-eight years. At the turn of the century,
illustrators could disseminate original artworks on a national scale
for the first time. As publishing technologies advanced to include
images, and later colors, the methods of transportation and
communication accelerated, allowing publications to be circulated to
millions of Americans on a weekly basis. This change revolutionized
the way Americans consumed media, from printed text to vibrant
representations of the modern world in mastheads, highly illustrated
novels, and store windows. It was America’s Golden Age of
Illustration. Reynolda is the debut venue for this exhibition
showcasing J.C. Leyendecker’s five-decade career. The exhibition
will be presented in English and Spanish. Leyendecker and the Golden
Age of American Illustration se presentará en inglés y en español.
Image: J.C. Leyendecker, Couple in Boat, oil on canvas, 1922. ©
2019 National Museum of American Illustration, Newport, RI. Photo
courtesy American Illustrators Gallery, New York, NY.
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11/09/2019 Last update