J.C. Leyendecker at the Haggin Museum - Stockton, CA

**Mike Dutton** · November 7th, 2006

Stumbled on this while I was looking for old Leyendecker pieces for inspiration. For those who are coming to Insomnia, if you have access to a car, Stockton is about an hour and a half drive away from San Francisco. With over fifty pieces on display, it's more than worth the trip. The show's already a month into its run, but will continue through the end of the year.

http://www.hagginmuseum.org/

If anyone has already been to the show, I'd love to hear more. Thanks.

**cotron** · November 7th, 2006

It's fuckin great! Saw it last weekend... if there's anyway people can get to it, you gotta do it. The permanent collection is surprisingly good at the museum as well... Bouguereau & a good amount of Geromes.

That Leyendecker guy... oh man, he good.

**BRAT_777** · November 7th, 2006

Oooo kewl...I am totally going to go to this!

Edit-
Thanx Mike!!

**poise** · November 7th, 2006

yeah I saw this too. I was looking at his work for inspiration.
I will be in California around that time so I think I might make it. I'm on a serious Leyendecker kick these days, ever since I saw one of his studies at the Society of Illustrators for the last AOL. I was stareing at that painting for such a long time. That guy is so brilliant. Check out some of his studies I have just found. The old man's head is insane.
click on the image, it gets bigger, so you can see some awesome detail. Nothing like getting you hyped to see the real thing, huh.
http://www.cartoonretro.com/forumimages/jclstudies.jpg

**Irene Gallo** · November 7th, 2006

Nooooooo!!!!!!!! I so want to see this!

Thanks for the heads up. I doubt I'll get out there, but it's nice to dream.

**Irene Gallo** · November 7th, 2006

Crazy story: I know a guy from a collectors site that said when he and his brother were little they would take BB Gun shots of a painting his father bought at a flea market and stuck in the basement. You guessed it, it was a JC. He said there were two paintings and that one was repairable. They had it restored and auctioned it off for a pretty penny.

How come my family never finds a lyndecker in the basement!

**Mike Dutton** · November 7th, 2006

Wow that is a crazy story..... on the offchance that my work is ever picked up at a flea market when I'm long gone, I think I'll make it easy on the restoration guys by sticking to bulletproof canvas.

And thanks for the review, Cody.

**poise** · November 8th, 2006

Who in their right mind would shoot a Leyendecker!!!! Damn those meddling kids!

Sometimes I get so emotional looking at his work.
It's a mixture of super excitement, Awe!, sadness, and envy.
I wish I was him.

**I.was.ink** · November 8th, 2006

I know of a guy that paints exactly like him.
I mean......exactly.
When I first saw his paintings, I thought they were Leyendecker's originals.
He doesnt have a site, but I'll see if I can get some pics of his stuff.
The guy is obsessed with Leyendecker and knows everything about him.( he's been painting like him for 5-7 yrs. or so)
He's studied everything there is to know about him.
He's even gotten to the point where he's counting the amount of strokes he uses per color to try and match Leyendecker down to perfection.

-ink

**Elwell** · November 8th, 2006

This show will be touring starting next year, through 2009.
Here's the schedule:http://www.smithkramer.com/exhibitio...entSchedule=49

ink,
That's both impressive and sad.

**poise** · November 8th, 2006

LOL! 2009! close to where I live too. Well I will be seeing it again then I guess.

Thanks for the info Tristen.

**I.was.ink** · November 8th, 2006

Originally Posted by Elwell

This show will be touring starting next year, through 2009.
ink,
That's both impressive and sad.

I agree.
We've told him to paint his own way,
or to incorporate what he's learned into painting and drawing differently but he refuses to. Oh well.

-ink

**JL.Alfaro** · November 8th, 2006

HEY !
I live there brothers! Thats my home town museum, damn thats weird ...its about 10 minutes away from my house...They havent had anything good in there for a while...Im checking this out today!

**Victor B** · November 8th, 2006

Wish I was in California ! curse midwest, I'll have to make a drive up to wisconsin to see it some time in 08'.OH and big thanks to POISE for that link absolutely delicious studies!

**uRiDiAN** · November 10th, 2006

we went yesterday for a field trip from the AAU. amazing amazing stuff. makes me want to try harder and give up at the same time.

**Layil** · November 16th, 2006

is anybody local to sf wanting to go to this?
preferably someone with a car....

PM me if youre interested, id love to get out to see this.

**Rascar Capac** · November 16th, 2006

are they ever gonna do a new JCL book? The poster book is cool, The M. Schau one is great but too many B/W...but we need one that rivals Rockwell's Complete Magazine Covers book....

**BRAT_777** · November 17th, 2006

For thosed of you who can't get there...
(sorry for the amatuer pics)

For the people who are going to go, you are allowed to take pictures, but no flash, and you need to sign in at the front desk. It was really quite a treat to see these in person. Unfortunatlet these pics don't do any justice to how beautiful these paintings really are. It was also really cool to see Leyendecker's childhood drawings. Not an event to miss. You will hate yourself for it later!

**Steph Laberis** · November 17th, 2006

Oh, thanks for posting those pics! I didn't even know Leyendecker existed until I went last Saturday - dear lord, what have I been missing? I love how he dapples his shadows with streaks of light, almost like a venetian blind filter, it seems like it shouldn't work, but it does. That museum is a real gem, I wish it were a little closer though - Stockon is so in the middle of nowhere!

And for the record, I fell in love with the stylization of the flying pigeon that was in the last pic you submitted. I didn't have a chance to sketch it but I wish I had >_<

**joelhinxman** · November 17th, 2006

bahh ive been trying to remeber his name for sooooo long. thank you

**Layil** · November 20th, 2006

these are great, thanks for posting!

**theincredibleandy** · November 20th, 2006

I saw the show this last weekend, and it was inspiring. My friend Josh and I drove 5 or 6 hours to see it, and it was unbelievably worth it. The exhibit even has a student painting Leyendecker did of his brother. The Haggin Museum also has an amazing Bougereau painting, some Jean Leon Jerome pieces, and other neat stuff. Every serious artist owes it to themselves to find this show!

**drd** · November 21st, 2006

This guys work looks just like Normal Rockwell's...Or am I just confusing people's names and pieces?

Halp please

**theincredibleandy** · November 21st, 2006

Originally Posted by drd

This guys work looks just like Normal Rockwell's...Or am I just confusing people's names and pieces?

Halp please

well, kinda. The colors and compositions look like early Rockwell because Rockwell idolized the bejeesus out of him. If you look at JC's stuff closely, you'll see stylization and simplification that Rockwell never even touched. If that weren't enough, he's also wicked awesome in every way.

**Irene Gallo** · November 21st, 2006

Bratt, You are a saint!

**Victor B** · November 21st, 2006

quick thank you to bratt for posting pics for those of us that cant go. All saved to my hd thank you very much

**Irene Gallo** · November 27th, 2006

More juicy photos here:

http://www.louisgonzales.com/blog/?p=36

**JasonChan** · November 27th, 2006

I have to check it out when I go home for X-mas

**Victor B** · November 27th, 2006

Now i must post yet again , another huge thank you to Irene! for posting a link for those of us who can't make it at least not till it comes around near the midwest.Thanks again Irene

**strych9ine** · November 27th, 2006

Thanks for the pics everyone... my last trip to New York was the first time I had a chance to see a Leyendecker in person. Would have loved to make it to this show.