Fine Art M.S. Rau | The Sleuth By J.C. Leyendecker

Joseph Christian Leyendecker
1874-1951 | American

The Sleuth
Saturday Evening Post Cover, June 2, 1906

Signed “Jcleyendecker” (Lower Left)
Oil On Canvas

A Debonair Sleuth Peers Through A Stained Glass Window At The Mysterious Silhouette Of A Man In This Captivating Oil On Canvas By Great American Illustrator J.C. Leyendecker. Painted For The June 2, 1906, Cover Of Saturday Evening Post, The Sleuth Illustrates A Scene From The Story Mortmain By Arthur Train. An Accomplished Lawyer And Writer, Train Wrote Dozens Of Thrilling Legal Stories About A Fictional Lawyer Named Ephraim Tutt That Were Published In The Saturday Evening Post, And Soon His Heroic Character Became “The Best-Known Lawyer In America.” This Striking Cover Art Signaled Another Installment Of Train’S Tutt Chronicles Printed Within The Magazine, A Story That Can Still Be Accessed Today.

Leyendecker’S Masterful Illustration Encapsulates The Intrigue Of The Story And Showcases His Renowned Ability To Capture The Character Of His Models And Convey A Story Through A Single Scene. His Works Such As This Are As Engaging Today As They Were Over A Century Ago. Here, Leyendecker Tells A Compelling Story Through The Inclusion Of Only A Few Compositional Details. His Debonair Subject, Ephraim Tutt, Appears In Profile, Connoting That He Is Turning To Listen In On The Conversation Being Had By The Shadowy Figure Behind The Stained Glass Window. Leyendecker Renders Train’S Tutt Figure In Rich Sartorial Details, With A Sumptuous Cravat Collar, Bright Orange Gemstone Tie Pin And A Luxurious Mink-Trimmed Winter Coat.

J. C. Leyendecker Is Credited For Creating Some Of The Most Beloved And Endearing Images Of His Era That Set The Style And Tone For Entire Generations Of Americans. In 1898, Leyendecker Produced The First Of 48 Covers For Collier’S Magazine. The Next Year, He Painted His First Cover For Saturday Evening Post Magazine, Which Was The Beginning Of A 44-Year Association With That Esteemed Publication. Over The Course Of His Career, He Would Also Paint Covers For Life Magazine, Illustrations For A Library Of Books And Transform Advertising For Such Companies As B. Kuppenheimer &Amp; Co. And Interwoven Socks. His Remarkable And Extensive Oeuvre Ensured His Influence Over An Entire Generation Of Young Artists, Most Notably Norman Rockwell, Who Was Vocal About The Impact Of Leyendecker On His Work. Today, He Remains One Of The Most Beloved American Illustrators Of The Early 20Th Century.

Circa 1906

Canvas: 17 3/4” High By 17 3/4” Wide
Frame: 22″ High By 22″ Wide By 1 3/4” Deep