Before setting out to paint his final, he made several rough drafts, rehearsing the brushwork of every element until he got it just right. Leyendecker was a draftsman through and through. So in today’s Why They Work, let’s take a look at some of the contributing factors of J.C. Fortunately for those looking to learn the Leyendecker way, everything we need to know can be found within his prolific body of work. For these reasons and because he never had kids, very little is known about his history and personal life. He rarely permitted interviews and upon his death in 1951, per his instructions, Charles Beach, his partner of 50 years, destroyed all his records and correspondence. Leyendecker was gay at a time when it was very dangerous to be so, and as a result, he led a very private life.
Leyendecker’s work also had a large influence on Norman Rockwell, to whom he served as a mentor.
Leyendecker completed 322 covers for the Saturday Evening Post and is credited for popularizing several major cornerstones of American culture, such as the New Year Baby, playing football on Thanksgiving, and even the red-clothed, plump, jolly Santa Claus. Leyendecker was a German-American illustrator who worked during the period known as the Golden Age of Illustration, from the 1880s to the 1920s.
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