Background

Leyendecker was born in Montabaur, Germany, on January 19, 1876. He was the son of Peter Leyendecker and Elizabeth Oreseifen Leyendecker. He had three siblings: a brother, Adolph A. Leyendecker; a sister, Augusta Mary Leyendecker; and one more brother, Joseph Christian Leyendecker. In 1882 the Leyendecker family immigrated to Chicago, Illinois, where his mother's uncle had founded the successful McAvoy Brewing Company.

Education

Frank Leyendecker studied at the Chicago Art Institute and later the Académie Julian (now part of ESAG Penninghen) in Paris under the guidance of Benjamin Constant.

Career

In 1897, the Frank Leyendecker together with his brother Joe returned to Chicago to begin their careers as illustrators. However, Frank Leyendecker returned with addiction problems, which would plague him for the rest of his life. The two brothers set up a shared art studio in Chicago where they had early success in advertising.

In 1900, Joe, Frank, and their sister Mary moved to New York City, then it was the center of the American commercial art, advertising and publishing industries. During the next decade, both brothers began lucrative long-term working relationships with apparel manufactures including Interwoven Socks, Hartmarx, B. Kuppenheimer & Co., and Cluett Peabody & Company. Frank Leyendecker got off to a flying start. In the first six years Collier’s commissioned him for twenty-six covers, while Joe painted fewer than half that many. However, after the initial success, Leyendecker fell under the overwhelming shadow of his prolific elder brother, and became known as "The Lesser Leyendecker." But still his Collier’s covers are considered to be among the most important magazine illustrations.

Frank Leyendecker illustrated Rudyard Kipling’s futuristic science fiction story entitled "With The Night Mail" for Doubleday in 1909. Besides, Leyendecker was an author of advertisement illustrations for such customers as Luxite Hosiery, Palmolive Soap, Remington Arms, and Willy’s Motors. He created cover and interior illustrations for Colliers, Leslie's, Life, McClure's, The Saturday Evening Post, Vanity Fair, and Vogue. He also painted covers for Street & Smith pulp magazines, such as People's Favorite Magazine and The Popular Magazine, as well as for Fawcett’s pulp magazine Battle Stories.

In 1914, Leyendecker moved into his brother’s newly built mansion in New Rochelle, New York. There also lived Joe Leyendecker’s partner and model Charles Beach. Frictions between Frank and Beach became a common thing. Finally, the brothers fought over Beach and Frank Leyendecker moved out of his brother’s house in 1923. Frank Leyendecker was depressed and in ill health from his ongoing drug addiction and a career that was all but over. Eventually, he committed suicide by morphine overdose in 1924.

Achievements

• Frank Xavier Leyendecker was known to be a highly talented and prolific illustrator, who cooperated with a number of companies. His short obituary named him "one of the foremost artists and illustrators of this country." On December 20, 1924, the Art Association of New Rochelle held a Memorial Exhibition of his artworks.
  
  He was praised as having given "fidelity to tradition and no less to suavity and grace and authority of method that he raised the standard of commercial art to a place never before occupied, as a legitimate adjunct to what we know as true art, that is, enduring art."

Works

More photos

• book

  • The City of Delight - A Love Drama of the Siege and Fall of Jerusalem 1908

• illustration

  • Vogue

  • "Suppose Your Hair Came Down" An Advertisement for Palmolive Shampoo

  • "The Young Man and the World" Saturday Evening Post Cover

  • The Courtship

  • Hippodrome Souvenir Book

  • I've Asked Him to Tea on Friday

  • A Live Wire

  • The Bear Trainer

  • Mending the Pirate Flag

  • McClure's Magazine

  • "Drink of Water" Saturday Evening Post Cover

  • "The Flapper" Life Magazine Cover

  • The Honeymoon

  • Birds of a Feather

  • Preliminary Illustration

  • I Say Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

  • Traffic Stop

  • McClure’s Magazine

  • Pierrot and Columbine

  • Touchdown

  • The Grey Domino

  • Strength and Service Chevrolet Review

  • Cossak Drinking by Campfire

  • The Blacksmith

  • Collier's, "The Dragon Painter"

  • Life, "The Nectarine"

  • Collier's Print, "The Fortune Hunter"

  • The Ladies' World, "Ten Story Number"

  • Life, "The Rivals"

  • Couple Kissing at Piano

Connections

Father:

Peter Leyendecker

Mother:

Elizabeth Oreseifen Leyendecker

Brother:

Adolph A. Leyendecker

Sister:

Augusta Mary Leyendecker

Brother:

Joseph Christian Leyendecker

References

• The Illustrator in America: 1860-2000