J.C. Leyendecker: American Imagist

Beautiful book. A great collection of Leyendecker's work.

I attended the recent show at the New York Historical Society showing Leyendecker's work. It was small, but well worth seeing. In advance, I wanted to learn more about the artist, and this book does an amazing job. Although Leyendecker let a rather reclusive life and didn't leave much for biographers to comb through, the authors of this book found just about every item about his family, life and work as an artist. They give a really full picture of the man, how he become a first rate illustrator, and was a the forefront of many new trends.First, the quality of the book itself is high. The colors are saturated and the images are well printed to see detail. Second, text is well written and balanced. Third, I really learned a lot about the graphic arts industry during his lifetime, how it changed it, how important it was to American life, and how the medium changed forever. It was a real eye-opener.The actual images are beyond gorgeous. The drawn men are what every man wants to be -- handsome, virile, and a consummate gentleman. The details of the images are jaw dropping in their virtuosity, and you wonder how any human could draw so convincingly.

I'm an art director, and my wife is a professional illustrator. Both of us have admired Leyendecker's work for many years. In my opinion, Leyendecker is the best illustrator of the first half of the 20th Century — even better than the more popular Norman Rockwell.This large, high-quality, stitched hardbound book contains hundreds of color reproductions of Leyendecker's best work — most of which I had never seen before. I have no hesitation whatsoever in giving this book five full stars.The book also delves into Leyendecker's personal life, which I previously knew very little about. The Arrow Collar Man (a recurring character in Leyendecker's ads for Arrow shirts) was widely regarded as the epitome of sophisticated masculinity at the time. Generally unknown to the public, the model used for the Arrow Collar Man was Leyendecker's longtime gay partner during a time when society was far more intolerant than today.

It is a very valuable addition to the extremely limited number of works (books or videos), done on one of the greatest painters/illustrators in America. It provides us with an impressive number of high quality reproductions of Leyendecker's paintings. Through the reproductions, one can see the outstanding skills and techniques that he mastered to an astonishing degree. They also show the attention he paid to detail. Some of the most interesting reproductions are of detailed studies in oil on canvas (which, incidentally, sometimes rival the finished paintings!!), showing the kind of research, time, and effort he put in his art. Finally, we can easily see why his work had gained the admiration of all Americans: not only his models were extremely handsome (especially Charles Beach, his favorite model and life companion), but they were exquistely elegant, with style and sophistication. In the absence of motion pictures, TV, and colored photos, one could imagine the effect of these fabulous illustrations on the American public in the first half of the 20th Century.The book also gives extremely interesting and rare insight into Leyendecker's life, especially his young years. Very little is known about him since he was an extremely private person, and especially that he ordered that his photos and other memorabilia would be burned after his death. Thus, we discover (for the first time, I beleieve!!), that his family was of German origin, and not Dutch as it was previously believed. We also learn about the unfortunately difficult relations inside his family, especially the sad developments in the life of his brother Frank (a brilliant artist in his own right), and the extreme tension between him and Charles Beach. We also have a glimpse of his wonderful sister Mary, who dedicated her whole life to her two brothers: Joe and Frank. Finally we also discover that they had a fourth sibling: a brother ... also an artist!!The only thing missing which I would have liked to see is an indication of where the original paintings are now.

After reading so many negative reviews I have to say I expected to receive a sloppy, handwritten mess of a book..I am happy to say that is DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE! The illustrations are wonderful and the research that had to be done to compile this magnificenttribute was well beyond my expectations. I have to wonder, as I was scouring the book , what in the world was so wrong with the writing. Each section was thoughtfully worded and many details were fascinating and I am certain to be fact.I guess I am not that well versed on what a writers skill or wording SHOULD be but I must say I was thrilled to learn more about many of the details of "Joe's" life so long now private. I found myself overjoyed and many of the images I had never seen which was even more exciting! I was even more elated that they seem to start at the beginning and follow to the end of his career. In my eyes, it is all perfection.Again, I am only speaking as a Leyendecker fan, not as some prolific writer or art critic. Seems to me that if you want a beautiful reference book on his many beautiful works and at least want to have some insight on the man behind the masterpieces, this would be a wonderful choice for you. I am sure they may be some details that may not be 100% accurate but I do not get the feeling that the author believes that each detail is fact, as there were so many private moments throughout Layendeckers life. If you are looking for a book to enjoy and to share with others , this is a great read. Thanks to all of those who were a part of the making.! I feel a little closer to the legend than I ever have...! I am ordering a few more for gifts! Just the time to gather all of these beautiful works of art is well worth the price!