Influences of a Mentor

An exhibition showcases anomalous works by Norman Rockwell and his mentor, J.C. Leyendecker alongside their cover illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post

Through March 3
Elliott Museum
825 NE Ocean Boulevard
Stuart, FL 34996
t: (772) 225-1961
www.hsmc-fl.com

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) became a household name through his 321 unique illustrations published as covers of The Saturday Evening Post. His prodigious accomplishment was exceeded by one original painting in the 322 covers by J. C. Leyendecker (1874–1951), Rockwell’s idol who is almost lost to history.

J.C. Leyendecker (1874-1951), Spring Commuter, 1916. Oil on canvas, 28 x 20 in., signed lower left. Cover, Saturday Evening Post, May 6, 1916.

The exhibition Norman Rockwell and his Mentor, J.C. Leyendecker, at the Elliott Museum in Stuart, Florida, which runs through March 3, features 10 original works by each artist along with their magazine covers, offering a unique opportunity to compare the artists’ work.

Leyendecker’s initial fame came from his menswear commissions, although he was instrumental in establishing the magazine cover as an art form. He used the chiseled beauty of his longtime companion to create “The Arrow Collar Man” promoting Arrow Shirts’ detachable collars and establishing a debonair ideal in men’s fashion. Leyendecker also made posters during World Wars I and II, celebrating soldier heroes as well as athletic heroes at home.

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), Threading The Needle, 1922. Oil on canvas, 25½ x 20½ in., signed lower right. Cover, Saturday Evening Post, April 8, 1922.

Wanting to be a magazine cover artist himself, Rockwell sought to emulate his idol. In his autobiography, he wrote, “I’d followed him around town just to see how he acted…I’d ask the models what Mr. Leyendecker did when he was painting. Did he stand up or sit down? Did he talk to the models? What kind of brushes did he use? Did he use Winsor & Newton paints?”

J.C. Leyendecker (1874-1951), War Hero Telling Stories, 1919. Oil on canvas, 27½ x 19½ in., signed lower right. Cover, Saturday Evening Post, May 10, 1919.

It wasn’t until the two artists lived near one another in New Rochelle, New York, that Rockwell discovered Leyendecker’s secret—perfection. After working on a painting for months, if his mentor felt it didn’t represent his original idea 100 percent he would put it aside and start over. Rockwell later painted “100 percent” at the top of his easel as a reminder.

The exhibition offers not only the opportunity to compare the two illustrators but to see pieces other than Leyendecker’s commercial fashion work and Rockwell’s nostalgic scenes of everyday life.

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), The Doughboy and his Admirers, 1919. Oil on canvas, 24½ x 21½ in., signed lower left. Saturday Evening Post cover, February 22, 1919.

Leyendecker’s humor presages Rockwell’s in works like Spring Commuter, a 1916 Saturday Evening Post cover in which an avid gardener peruses a seed catalogue while traveling home on the train with his gardening purchases. On a 1922 Post cover, Rockwell depicts a frustrated man in Threading the Needle.

J.C. Leyendecker (1874-1951), Holy Night, 1934. Oil on canvas, 32 x 24 in., monogrammed lower right. Cover, Saturday Evening Post, December 29, 1934.

Commenting on the exhibition, Judy Goffman Cutler, director of the National Museum of American Illustration, says, “We are thrilled that the Elliott Museum promotes classic Americana and what’s more American than Norman Rockwell? This configuration has never been seen before in Florida. The scope and poignancy…it’s really brilliant. I hope the viewers will gain an appreciation for the wider world of American illustration and take an interest in all the illustrators of the Golden Age.”