Sold at Auction: Joseph Christian Leyendecker

(b Montabaur, Germany 1874; d New Rochelle, New York 1951) German-born American illustrator. Joseph Leyendecker is known for his charming and quintessentially American illustrations of children and fashionably dressed men and women. Throughout his prosperous career he illustrated over 300 covers for the Saturday Evening Post; his first one being done in 1899. The German-born artist moved from his native country to Illinois as a young boy, and studied at the Chicago Art Institute and at the prestigious Academie Julian in Paris. His illustrations influenced many other prolific artists such as Norman Rockwell. Leyendecker worked for the Post until 1943, and is still recognized as one of the greatest American illustrators. In addition to the Post covers, Leyendecker illustrated posters for both World Wars and illustrated commercially for the Arrow Collar company.