Leif Peng, whose terrific blog Today’s Inspiration never fails to inform the mind and dazzle the eye, has recently published two posts on the great American Illustrator J.C. Leyendecker, adding to his already extensive posts on the subject: Leyendecker, Kuppenheimer, Arrow… and Beach and J.C. Leyendecker: “… a recluse locked in struggles of power and love in an ivory tower, driven by impossible goals that led to tragedy.”.
In them he has had the gracious cooperation of Roger Reed of Illustration House, extracting fascinating nuggets for the posts from Reed’s text for the brochure of the November ’97 – May ’98 J.C. Leyendecker Exhibit at the Norman Rockwell Museum.
Peng has accompanied the text with relevant illustrations drawn in large part from the Leyendecker Pool on Flickr, from which I have also sourced the images above.
These are so elegant – what a sophisticated and beautiful way to present style. I wonder how contemporary photographers of “the beautiful people” will look in 50 years. I doubt if any of today’s models will hold up as well as the enchanting redhaad in the first illustration.
So amazing.. I love the one of the couple on the staircase. Love how the guy’s suit is not even there – it’s completely implied (at least it looks that way in the photo). The quality of light, the figures, the drapery – that painting is a masterpiece.
Wow, I was just looking at your site with my young son, and got to these pieces. I LOVE this work and it almost takes my breath away. The control, the brush work, and the beautiful ‘skeleton’ of the lines. Thank you for sharing!
This is my favorite American illustrator. There are many good commercial illustrators from the eary 1900s through to the 1960s but in my opinion, J.C. Leyendecker is the best. What a gift. What craftsmanship. His work just makes my heart sing, each one a masterpiece.