J.C. Leyendecker, Kellogg's Kid, c. 1912-1917, oil on canvas

J. C. Leyendecker:
America’s "Other" Illustrator
May 10-July 6, 2008
HUNTER GALLERY

Free Opening Reception
Saturday, May 10 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Writing in his autobiography in 1960, famed illustrator Norman Rockwell declared of J. C. Leyendecker: "There wasn’t an illustrator in the country who could draw better." From 1900 until about 1940, Leyendecker was arguably the nation’s most popular illustrator and commercial artist. Known for his cover illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post and for dramatic advertising images used to sell products ranging from breakfast cereal to war bonds, Leyendecker’s style was recognized and admired by many.

This special traveling exhibition consists of approximately fifty original painted illustrations from the Haggin Museum of Stockton, California, which holds the world’s largest collection of Leyendecker’s work. Highlights include original cover illustrations for Collier’s and The Saturday Evening Post as well as a series of "Kellogg’s Kids" and other advertising paintings.

J.C. Leyendecker, Saturday Evening Post Cover: Barking Up the Wrong Turkey, 1926, magazine cover

J.C. Leyendecker, Man in Long Underwear, c. 1920, oil on canvas