I discovered something great earlier this week - this blog.
So far there is only one post on it, but damn, what a post! - 31 huge scans of J.C. Leyendecker Saturday Evening Post covers. They were posted back on August 2 and there's been no new activity since, but I hope we'll see more eventually. In the meantime, if you can tear yourself away from the sheer awesomeness that is the Leyendecker blog, be sure to check out these essays at the always excellent Illustration Art Blog.
3 comments:
Steve, a number of years ago on a visit to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass., I saw a showing of Leyendecker originals. Amazing stuff, to say the least. But the most interesting thing was to see how he started with very specific photo ref of his subjects, just like Rockwell.
But as he worked his way through stages of sketches, pencils and color roughs, you could see how he bled away the individuality of the subjects and made them into the iconic figures he was known for. Where Rockwell's subjects were real people who stayed that way, Leyendecker's were real people who were transformed into these idealized figures.
Very well put Ron. Leyendecker took his subjects beyond mere realism to something else entirely, and merged it with a great design sense as well. I envy you seeing the originals. I've really got to get out of the house more.
Anytime you're up New York way, I'll take you over to the Rockwell museum. Just a gorgeous facility, about an hour from my house.
Post a Comment