It’s taken me a long time to finally post these images! Last summer, I spent an incredible morning studying several key J.C. Leyendecker Saturday Evening Post paintings up close and in person, and was able to take the following detail shots of a few of them. I’ll keep the owner’s identity anonymous to preserve privacy, and will just state that it was a incredible pleasure to have had this wonderful opportunity. Leyendecker is one of my all-time favorite artists, and a huge influence on my own work, and so I’m grateful to have been able to take these shots in order to continue to study his brushwork. Click on the images to see even larger versions, where you can revel in every detail of the canvas texture and each brushstroke. Enjoy!
43 Responses to “J.C. Leyendecker”
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Wow, amazing work, i love seeing works up close
Visual orgasm… Hope it was as good to all of you as it was to me.
Thanks a lot for those wonderful images!
Leyendecker = <3
Thanks for sharing these incredible images. I, too, am a big fan of his work. The exhibition that, I think, was in Stockton, CA, was also shown at the Gari Melchers studio/home/museum out in my neck of the woods on the East Coast and I got to see a bunch of his Saturday Evening Post work and his Kellogg’s corn flakes material, too. I was really struck by how much his work as an engraver influenced how he worked as a painter. At least that’s something that I took from it…. such wonderfully deliberate brush strokes.
Mmmmmm…. art pr0n… ;d
Thanks, Scott, what a treasure. Seeing his work up close is like eating the best frosting on the best cake ever made.
Breathtaking! Obviously the work of a genius. Thank you.
Many thanks, this art is unbelievably good.
Everything is so perfectly placed, yet with every sroke you feel life bursting out. How?! Awesome. Visual orgasm indeed. Thanks so much for taking the time to share!!
Found you via Charley Parker, but I came not so much for the Leyendecker post (well, that was the initial reason), but because Charley said to check out your art as well. I can see now after perusing your posts that you chose wisely. ;o)
very nice
Thanks for sharing. I have the book, but these are gravy. I’ll link to your post.
Wow, he is right next to Rockwell in my book…
Thank you! Leyendecker is such an inspiration.
This was an amazing sight!! I was just mesmorized at the intriquet detailed work here. Makes me want to get up and paint now.
Beautiful!
Dream come true
Thanks for this spectacular tribute to a great artist and illustrator. Leyendecker and Rockwell were both enormous influences on me an my work as well. I love the confident brushwork of Leyendecker. This really made my day! Thanks again and best of luck to you and your art.
Regards,
Rodney Pike
I’m flat out speechless. Thanks so much for sharing this collection of my favorite illustrator close up.
I hope you don’t mind Scott, I shared you on my Facebook page.
Rodney
great detail shots! very structured and precise brushwork. the chrome horse is ridiculously good…
thanks for sharing.
While I figured this post would get some attention, I wasn’t quite expecting this! Thanks to both Drawn and Lines & Colors for their mentions, and thanks to all of the commenters for chiming in. I hope you’ll come back and visit the blog again.
According to studies, JC was, obviously, a very methodical painter. He wasn’t as much painting as was drawing — he drew with his brush strokes. His average painting technique came down to 4 layers: under-painting, mid-tone, darks, and highlights. This is basically what everyone does, but he did it without much blending of the paints. He mixed the paints on palette and laid them down as a definitive stroke. And that’s amazing. Every shade and tone was figured out in his head before putting down on canvas.
Thanks you for these great images of this great artist!!
Thank you so much for this great post!!
thanks so much for sharing these. I just only recently started to appreciate Leyendecker. But your work reminds me a lot of his! I never realized that he used such thick paint until you posted the close ups. Even in art books, you really can’t see it that well. He did such an amazing job following through with each stroke – very bold and confident! Anyway, thanks again and I love your blog!
Thanks for posting these. One really can’t appreciate the great brushwork from the print of these great paintings.
When I was 16 ( 1970′s I did a coming of age trip with Rick Hoberg were we hitchhiked to San Francisco I had only just been introduced to JCL by Bil Stout– Walking along a gallery district one afternoon we say a JCL in a window– Walking in all these covers were on display- at least 20 of his very best covers. It seems like a dream now. I’ve never seen them all together since.
Sheesh! Fantastic!!!
great detail shots! very structured and precise brushwork. the chrome horse is ridiculously good… thanks for sharing.
After January 1st, 2011 — check out J. C. Leyendecker EBAY listings! After 30 years of collecting, I am liberating a killer selection of the coveted Kuppenheimer Style Books….the fashion catalogs that showcased Leyendecker’s illustrations. This stuff is ultra-rare and some of the illustrations were ONLY seen in …these Style Books. Do NOT miss out on this killer opportunity to acquire some of these items….the Holy Grail of Leyendecker collecting. My EBAY listings will feature over 26 of these gems…some are super-unique and obscure. Good Luck if you decide to participate!
Bud.
CHICAGO
Email me for a list of items.
budmoon@earthlink.net
Wonderful to see such work from a personal icon. Just wondering, though, if the artwork was framed (as it seems to appear) right up against the glass? That would be a HUGE horror – a costly mistake if so.
Thank you for the inspiration your work always gives me.
Marla, not to worry—there was no glass on any of the frames. The shadow you’re seeing is simply from the depth of the wooden frames.
Amazing, thanks.
Thanks for posting all of these! Its’ really exciting and valuable to see all that brushwork up close and in isolation. Fabulous!
thanx for sharing!!! awesome artworks!
Thank you so much for this post. It comes at a very opportune time for me.
Awesome, so much life in every stroke! Thanks for sharing!