The two from this sketchbook page are popping up again, with a story. I have decided to name them Ada and Gerhardt. The SS officer is not in this picture, though he is Ada’s husband. This is not going to end well for anyone. Oh dear.
Born in Germany - his family moved to Chicago when he was 7 - Joseph Christian Leyendecker was one of the most successful commercial artists of the 20th century.
His incredible drawing and painting ability, illuminated by his gay sexuality, brought a new aesthetic into advertising, bringing it very much into the new century. His work as a magazine illustrator and his vibrant, body conscious advertising usually for high-end luxury brands, created the prototype for the male sex symbol, his early work pre-dating the cinema, in the time before photography dominated the media.His most successful campaign was for the Arrow shirt company, and his Arrow collar man became the very epitome of American manliness, prosperity & style, at one time getting more fanmail and proposals of marriage than Rudolph Valentino it is claimed. What his legion of fans did not realise was that their idol, Leyendecker’s model was in fact his lover, Charles Beach.
Always declining fine art commissions, Leyendecker preferred to work as an illustrator and commercial artist. He was incredibly successful and well-known. His work helped define the visual look of America as much as the cinema up until World War II. His influence on Norman Rockwell can be clearly seen too. So financially successful was he that in 1914 he was able to commision a mansion in New Rochelle, where he lived until his death in 1952.
And Charles Beach? He and Leyendecker were together for over 50 years, his role encompassing model, husband, cook & business manager. Despite Leyendecker’s fame, his life is not so well-known now because he lived discreetly; it would also appear that on his death Beach destroyed most of Leyendecker’s remaining work, diaries and documents. Leyendecker shunned photography as an art form and few photos exist or have survived of them. Charles Beach died shortly after Leyendecker also in 1952.
If you enter the name J C Leyendecker on Google images, you can see how exquisite, stylish and iconic his work was, and you can see how his work influenced the photographic advertising campaigns which have subsequently replaced his beautiful illustrations. It’s worth the look.
Ngghhh. I can only in my wildest dreams hope to possess even an ounce of this genius’ talent.
Another gorgeous bunch of photos showed up from the Jazz Age Lawn Party! Going to try and bring an even fancier spread next time…
(By Virginia Rollison.)
Clearly, 1920s-1930s Germany is currently an obsession. I have been looking at a lot of fantastic erotica from the period in our collection. I wish Leydenegg’s Der Gestiefelte Eros was available in English (or, better yet, that I knew German), I’m very curious to read it.
My friend L. maintains that the evil chap and the officer were either school mates or sleeping with each other. I said both.
I have a lot of expensive habits - tea, champagne, custom tailored 18th century suits. Sometimes I am lucky to be able to pay for these with my art. This was one such drawing.
Reblogging my own art someone posted. Someone with good ass taste!
So you know how I keep posting pictures of Ella? Here is the first page introducing her, her husband Alex, and Valliet III, the narcoleptic king turned gossip columnist in 1920s Paris. Art and coloring by my lovely husband.
As an aside, I’m well chuffed that the lovely who originally posted this on their tumblr liked it so much as to do so.
Our happy feet and their low-down beat wound up in the Times!
Getting your picture taken by Bill Cunningham is such an honor.
Doing what they do best - being spectacularly bored. Also, can we just talk for a minute about Nina’s fucking headdress in that scene? My imaginary girlfriend is so getting one.
The previous Myrna Loy picture was sort of in that category, but I don’t need an excuse to draw the perfection that is Buster. x
Myrna Loy is a sexy beast. I’d take her out for ice-cream. Hard.
Not sure I really got her profile. She’s got a funny little nose. But here you go! x
The Jazz Age Lawn Party happened yesterday. Most delightful, Charleston and croquet-filled drunk afternoon ever!
More pictures here.
As fun as Jazz Age Lawn Parties are, I still can’t wait for winter.
Les beans.
I want to jump into some snow right now. This weather is not made for Russians, seriously.
I woke up this morning to discover I have 100 followers! Thank you all for following, re-blogging and compliments, I am really rather chuffed.
I think this calls for porn, yeah? I’ll try to deliver that in the next post or two, but in the meantime here are Ella, Alexander and Valliet III from Baritarian Boy. They have a rather… unconventional arrangement.
Naked Weimar girls. Reading too much Isherwood. Is there such a thing as too much Isherwood?
