Norman Rockwell and his Mentor, J.C. Leyendecker

The exhibition includes 20 original oil paintings, 10 by Rockwell and 10 by Leyendecker, as well as each artist’s complete collection of vintage Saturday Evening Post, covers. In their respective careers Leyendecker created 322 unique covers for the Post while Rockwell created 321 unique covers. These iconic covers range from 1899 up to 1963 and immortalize a fascinating visual history of the United States. Visitors will be taken back to historic events such as the two World Wars, the Great Depression, 16 presidential terms, and those famous scenes of children and families that everyone remembers.

This fascinating selection of works aims to highlight the mentorship, friendship, and influence that Leyendecker had over the unquestionably more popular Rockwell. Rockwell’s admiration for J.C. Leyendecker could almost be considered obsessive. In 1915, after completing his studies in New York City, Rockwell actually moved to New Rochelle so that he could be closer Leyendecker.

Though not as popular and a household name as Rockwell, the American public in the 1920s considered Leyendecker to be a better illustrator. J.C. Leyendecker and Norman Rockwell eventually became close friends and the similarities in their artworks, particularly in Rockwell’s early career, are evidence of their close partnership.

Between 1896 and 1950, J.C. Leyendecker illustrated more than 400 magazine covers for the nation’s trade and general interest publications, including The Saturday Evening Post, for which he created 322 cover paintings. 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. J.C. 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 observed, 

“There wasn’t an illustrator in the country who could draw better.”

 In his commercial work, J.C. Leyendecker created the famed Arrow Collar Man, who came to define the fashionable American male of the Roaring Twenties. J.C. Leyendecker based the Arrow Collar Man on his favorite model and lifelong partner, Charles Beach.

EXHIBITION MATERIALS

High resolution images, captions, wall texts.

DISPLAY 

The paintings and prints in the exhibition are approximately 200 linear feet. The Saturday Evening Post covers are approximately 200 linear feet, however, that can vary greatly depending on how they are hung. Usually, they are hung in four rows on top of each other. However, as long as they are arranged chronologically, they can be condensed or expanded as much as needed.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COLLECTION

• Geographic location of storage: U.S.A. (north-east).
• All works are shipped framed as per international museum standards.
• Ιnternational shipping crates are available for the Saturday Evening Post covers while crates for the remaining works must be constructed. For domestic travel, fine art bins for truck transport are allowed. The wall-to-wall packing is the responsibility of the borrower.
• Collection is comprehensive, covering a substantial part of the artist’s body of work making it capable of serving as a stand-alone exhibition.
• Museum curators are provided with extensive information and may curate the exhibition to their specifications in collaboration with the collection owner.
• Collection provides endless opportunities for the development of educational programs, which we can assist with.