Collection: J. C. Leyendecker

J. C. Leyendecker was one of the great American illustrators of the early 20th century. In his day the magazine cover was still painted by hand, and Leyendecker made it his own territory. He worked in oil and always from live models. His subjects covered fashion, lifestyle, sport, holidays and everyday scenes, and his style is instantly recognizable: rich colour, clean and measured light, and lightly idealized figures built from short, crosshatched strokes that let the canvas breathe. Across five decades he painted more than 400 magazine covers, a record 322 of them for the Saturday Evening Post. Some of his cover illustrations grew into yearly traditions magazine readers looked forward to. At Art Punch you will find a selection of his work, revitalised and printed on art paper or cotton canvas, ready to take its place in a contemporary interior.