A book review- What we now think of as the picture of American masculinity ...

[ColbertWatcher]

Such a 'manly man'
What we now think of as the picture of American masculinity is attributable in large part to J.C. Leyendecker. Who? you ask.
By Carolyn Kellogg
December 28, 2008
J.C. Leyendecker: American Imagist
Laurence S. Cutler and Judy Goffman Cutler and the National Museum of American Illustration, Abrams: 256 pp., $50

The lavishly illustrated "J.C. Leyendecker: American Imagist" aims to restore the lesser-known Leyendecker to an appropriate place in the pantheon of American artists. The book outlines his life while showcasing a comprehensive collection of his work.

In addition to magazine covers, Leyendecker was much in demand by advertisers. He helped create modern branding when, in 1905, he lobbied Arrow to think less about collars and create "a unique male symbol for their products." What was called for was "ot simply a man, but a manly man, a handsome man . . . an ideal American man."

(...)

Decades before feminist Laura Mulvey wrote about the male gaze objectifying women, Leyendecker turned his gaze toward handsome men and created widely circulated icons of masculinity.

He simultaneously created lasting all-American images for the Saturday Evening Post, particularly for the holidays. His 1906 New Year's baby proved so popular that he revisited the theme every year through 1943. The authors also claim, not entirely convincingly, that college football for Thanksgiving, jolly red-clad Santa and flowers on Mother's Day can be traced back to Leyendecker's magazine covers.

--more at Los Angeles Times

Wikip*dia has a page on Leyendecker http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._C._Leyendecker

Which links to the American Art Archives http://www.americanartarchives.com/leyendecker,jc.htm

And another internets tube with a picture that demonstrates his brush work a little clearer http://digitalconsciousness.com/artists/JosephChristianLeyendecker/


This stuck out for me because I have noticed many odd references to machismo lately, not just in outright attempts to define masculinity, but in how femininity is defined as well.

Then I read this in the paper today; interesting stuff.

[Arctic Dave]

1. Looks like repug fantasy land.

[Gwendolyn]

2. The drawings are incredible, truly beautiful.

Some of the men look almost feline in their poses, very comfortable, like the models in some Calvin Klein ads.

And was thinking, a few of those drawings look like perfect illustrations for the poems of Cavafy.

[ColbertWatcher]

3. Yes, I agree, and he seems to have been the guy everyone whio came after him copied, too.

I'm not familiar with Cavafy, though.

[Gwendolyn]

6. He was a Greek poet, wrote around the same time period.

Here's a translation of one. He liked to write about young, beautiful men. (Or maybe you've heard of "Waiting for the Barbarians"?)



So much I gazed --


So much I gazed on beauty,
that my vision is replete with it.

Contours of the body. Red lips. Voluptuous limbs.
Hair as if taken from greek statues;
always beautiful, even when uncombed,
and it falls, slightly, over white foreheads.
Faces of love, as my poetry
wanted them.... in the nights of my youth,
in my nights, secretly, met....

Constantine P. Cavafy (1917)

[ColbertWatcher]

7. I'm sorry to say I have not heard of him before. Thank you for opening my mind. n/t

[Gwendolyn]

8. Thanks for the Leyendecker links. I had never heard of him before.

It's a little strange though... or maybe I haven't seen enough of his work, but the men in his drawings all look immaculate. A little what we would call metrosexual today. They certainly don't evoke the same feeling as the well-muscled renderings of the ancient greeks for instance. But maybe these are his fashion works... one of the links had info regarding some of his other artwork that focussed more on the male form. But anyway, all that blathering :) to say... males seem to have always been objectified, much the same as women.

[ColbertWatcher]

9. Neither had I, not until I saw the book review.

Now I may have to buy the book.

"... males seem to have always been objectified, much the same as women."

Not recently, but yeah, it seems like someone is always being objectified.

[SoCalDem]

17. The era he lived in REALLY used "class" as much as anything..

The rugged HE-man of that era evoked the image of a common laborer..one with dirty hands..like a factory worker or a farmer..

The elegance and grace of the pictures, are very definitely what "metrosexuals" are today. Well groomed men, who have time and money to spend on themselves, and who would NEVER do the dirty work of uneducated common laborers..

In his day, only the elite young men had the wherewithal to go to college...most males (and females too, to some degree) were in the workforce from their adolescence.. The rich folks with good breeding, were the ones who could afford to send their young to "finishing schools" and then to college..

The models used for the portraits were probably actors, who were used to spending time preening and making themselves as attractive as possible, so even if they themselves were not rich, they made people who saw the ads or their plays & movies, think they were..

[supernova]

4. Precursors to The Marlboro Man?

esp the one in the WWII bomber jacket.

[ColbertWatcher]

5. Could be.

I believe the argument in the book is that he influenced the definition of masculinity for many American artists.

[Maru Kitteh]

10. "REAL food for REAL GUYS"

"PIZZA! BURGERS! PASTA!

"And if you're a GIRLIE MAN like my brother here" followed by some reference to chicken or something.


I freakin' hate those commercials.

[Neshanic]

11. "A closet homosexual in an era when such a sexual orientation was taboo"...

if he reached out to the other side. Think of the things he could of accomplished.

[Lorien]

13. Everyone in Illustrator's circles knew he was gay, including Norman Rockwell

who idolized Leyendecker. Rockwell had both he and his partner (the model for the Arrow shirt man, who later drove him to bankruptcy) over for dinner on a number of occasions.

Leyendecker has been a huge influence on many of Disney's top animators over the years. A few of my friends collect his original paintings and sketches, which are quite stunning in person. He had a unique "sculptural" approach to his draftsmanship. I also recall seeing one of his larger works behind George Lucas' desk at Skywalker Ranch.

Edited to add a link to a new book on the artist: http://www.amazon.com/J-C-Leyendecker-Laurence-S-Cutler/dp/0810995212/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230608565&sr=8-1

[Mari333]

12. These fellows look like saucy gents to me

not what I expected.

[On the Road]

14. I Don't Even Know What to Say

but thank you for the links.

I like Rockwell -- I think he's more complex than people appreciate. Did not know of Leyendecker at all. His images are very American -- part of the whole river of the culture of this country. This is what people will be looking at a hundred years from now.

[Quantess]

15. Interesting. Thanks for posting it.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

16. Quite interesting.

I've seen some of Leyendecker's ads in books about he 1920s.

BTW, did you know that Neil Hamilton, who was Commissioner Gordon in the 1960s TV Series of BATMAN, was the Arrow Shirt Man in the 1920s?? He was undoubtedly painted by Leyendecker.

Commissioner Gordon in Batman:


Arrow Shirt Ad, 1919:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelnaiad/3079125970/

Hamilton was also a silent movie star.