J. C. Leyendecker - The Iconic Illustrator of the Early 20th Century

People Hidden In History

English - April 11, 2023 13:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MB - ★★★★★ - 1 rating
History Arts Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Previous Episode: History Podcasts by Women

Next Episode: Success - 1600's Connecticut Witches Exonerated

You will hear about a fascinating artist – J. C. Leyendecker- who's illustrations epitomized the lifestyles of America in the early 20th century. Note: this will be a PG rated episode. His commercial art – primarily in magazines, became an iconic art style from the 1900's through the 1930’s.

Leyendecker was also a major influence for Norman Rockwell, one of America’s most beloved 20th century artists. You will learn of the evolution of Leyendecker's style – from the Paris art scene of the 1900’s to then reflecting the elegant lifestyle of the 1920’s that men and women strived for. But, in clever and subtle ways – his art also reflected his hidden lifestyle.
Episode markers (in mins:secs)

Background – J. C. Leyendecker (3:20)Trip to Paris and development of style (5:05)Career with Saturday Evening Post & cover themes (7:50)Distinctive Leyendecker style & technique (12:10)Start of Arrow Collar ads & Charles Beach as model (14:23)The classic Leyendecker “look” (17:50)Hidden subtext in artwork (20:05)Artistic influence on Norman Rockwell (21:40)Later career – late 1920’s on (26:21)Start of collecting Leyendecker (27:51)Movie on Leyendecker – Coded (31.29)Exhibition – NY Historical Society (33:29)