J.C. Leyendecker

J.C. Leyendecker is best known for creating the "Arrow Collar Man" for the Cluett Peabody & Company's shirt collar advertisements. The campaign, which ran extensively in the early 20th century, featured an impossibly handsome, stoic male model that became a massive cultural heartthrob. Leyendecker's partner, Charles Beach, was the primary model for this iconic figure.

Leyendecker painted an astounding 322 covers for *The Saturday Evening Post* between 1899 and 1943. This incredibly prolific output set the standard for magazine illustration and introduced the concept of the "New Year's Baby" to American culture. His record for the most Post covers stood for decades until it was eventually surpassed by his protégé, Norman Rockwell.

Yes, Norman Rockwell was heavily influenced by Leyendecker and openly idolized the older artist during his early career. Rockwell even moved to New Rochelle, New York, specifically to be near Leyendecker and study his working methods. While Rockwell eventually became more famous, he always credited Leyendecker as his primary source of artistic inspiration.

Leyendecker was famous for his masterful use of the cross-hatch technique, applied using oil paints to create incredible texture and form. He would build up deep shadows and define the folds in his subjects' clothing using incredibly precise, tiny strokes of a stiff brush. This highly recognizable brushwork gave his commercial illustrations a sculptural, lifelike quality.