Long time readers of Lines and Colors will know that J.C. Leyendecker is one of my favorite illustrators, and I’m always happy to share Leyendecker resources on the web when I come across them.
Illustrator Chris Sheban, who I wrote about here, was kind enough to let me know about an older post on David Apatoff’s wonderful Illustration Art blog featuring a beautiful sheet of Leyendecker studies here, and another set here.
Be sure to click through to the high resolution images that Apatoff has been kind enough to make available for us. Apatoff also adds his own brief but insightful observations about Leyendecker’s technique, particularly the elements of style and design with which he enlivens even the most ordinary objects and surfaces.
Leyendecker can make folds in clothing as beautiful as other artists make pastoral valleys.
Apatoff has another post titled The Anvil of Art about the young Norman Rockwell trying to figure out how Leyendecker, his artistic hero, accomplished his astonishing level of virtuosity.
[Via Chris Sheban]
This is pure gold! Thank you so much for sharing, Charley! Leyendecker is one of my favorite illustrators too.
Great resource and great studies.
I was lucky enough to see the Lyendecker show at the Haggin Museum a few years back. It was nearly 100 paintings. What got me was how relatively small he worked compared to many of his contemporaries. His cover images were maybe two or sometimes three up; but nowhere near the size NC Wyeth or Rockwell were painting.
Wow a 100 panitings at that event. I really need to see more of this kind of art.
Thank you for posting more Leyendecker work. I bought a wonderful book of his work, nearly thirty years ago, and it remains one of my most treasured possessions ! As an illustrator myself, He was one of my idols for style, quality and keen observation.
Thank you for this always interesting blog, which I pop onto daily !
Also, for keeping the type black on white, my aging eyes have real problems with sites that reverse the type, as with the otherwise excellent Apatoff`s site :(
The golden age of Illustration. Sigh…..I was born in the wrong time.
Charley, I clicked here to get my regular daily dose of Lines and Colors and was quite delighted to see these familiar looking Leyendeckers.
Like you (and apparently like some of your readers) I think Leyendecker had an exquisite talent. Museum shows of his work are few and far between, but those who have a chance to see his mature works up close and personal are in for a thrill.
Thanks for spreading the word from your excellent forum. I am a big fan.
David
Thanks for this post, Charley! Leyendecker is one of my heros, with a lively, snappy brush stroke that seems almost supernatural. Nice studies over at the Apatoff blog too. I could look at the hi-res images for hours.
Amazing! Thanks for this! This is PURE INSPIRATION!
Leyendecker has always been a personal favorite of mine. his shapes are just unbelievable. great blog also btw.
I’m not at all a fan of how African Americans are being depicted here.
Thanks for your comment, Naomi.
Interesting. There are any number of illustrations from the era (early 20th Century) that might show African Americans in a subservient or in a second class role, but I don’t see this as one of them.
Granted I haven’t seen the original illustration finished or in context, but it looks to me like hubby is a little annoyed that his wife (who is very annoyed) is requiring that he keep his feet off her clean floor while trying to read his paper. If it’s insulting to any group, it might be women.
In what way do you see it as objectionable?