J.C. Leyendecker: The Great American Illustrator

J.C. Leyendecker was the most successful illustrator of his time, creating over 500 paintings for magazine covers-including 322 for the Saturday Evening Post-and advertisements that made his clients famous. His paintings portrayed a lifestyle that resonated with millions of Americans. Even when depicting those issues that mattered most-a woman's right to vote, the economic woes of the Depression, victory over nazi Germany-he never employed a heavy hand or a dark mood; his images were always full of human warmth and imagination. Leyendecker told the story of consumerism as if it were lyric poetry; replacing the turbulence of cultural history with a beauteous glance, a beguiling child, a muscular vision, or a gentle hand.