Summer!
The NMAI would like to celebrate the coming Summer Season with a collection of Golden Age illustrations of our favorite sunny day past-times.
While we are unable to open our doors for the 2021 Summer Season, we are beyond grateful for the continued support from Illustration Art fans and look forward to sharing our American Imagist Collection through our Virtual Exhibitions. We hope all of our Illustration fans are able to safely socialize outdoors with friends and family members throughout this fun-filled season.
Alan Stephens Foster (1892-1969)
Memorial Day Celebration
c. 1920, oil on canvas
23” x 19”, signed lower right
A popular illustrator in the style of Norman Rockwell, Alan Stephens Foster illustrated over thirty covers of the Saturday Evening Post as well as work for The New Yorker and Redbook, and even illustrated his own version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His work often centered around children, as does this holiday illustration of a small-town Memorial Day Celebration. The trumpet player has chosen to forgo his music stand for the assistance of this barefoot young boy who appears entranced by the musician's performance.
John Falter (1910-1982)
Golden Gate Bridge
1956, oil on board
28” x 24”, signed lower left
Saturday Evening Post, May 26, 1956 cover
Painted on California's Belvedere Island, just two blocks from John Falter's own home, this 1956 Memorial Day weekend cover of the Saturday Evening Post reflects the excitement Americans feel celebrating the oncoming summer. Bathed in sunshine, this group of young boys excitedly swing from a tree, testing their limits of height and fear. Falter highlights the beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge and surrounding area in this exquisitely rendered landscape.
John Falter (1910-1982)
The Evening Picnic
1949, oil on canvas
34” x 26 1/8”, signed lower left
Saturday Evening Post, June 4, 1949 cover
While visiting his father in Atchison, Kansas, John Falter was struck by the beauty of the surrounding areas. He gathered a group of local high school students and arranged for them to model for him along the Missouri River. To his surprise, the students came with a full picnic and proceeded to spend the day as they normally would. The resulting cover was a true representation of how these high school students spent their evenings along the river with the Missouri countryside stretching out into the background.
Edwin Georgi (1896-1964)
Dancing by Moonlight
1950, tempera on board
22” x 17”, signed lower left
Renowned for his images of excellently painted beautiful women and romantic scenes, Edwin Georgi's illustrations were published in Cosmopolitan, Saturday Evening Post, Esquire, Ladies' Home Journal, and many more popular publications. His unique style of blending a range of colors within one palette with a strong one-direction light source created fun, recognizable story illustrations. Painted in blues and purples, Dancing by Moonlight depicts an attractive young couple dancing beneath the summer night stars.
John Falter (1910-1982)
June Wedding
1950, oil on canvas
24" x 22", signed lower left
Saturday Evening Post, June 24, 1950 cover
In this heartfelt cover John Falter captures the intimacy and beauty of a small backyard wedding. On a pristine June afternoon, the young couple stands in the family garden in full bloom with their loved ones surrounding them, and a curious neighbor peeking through the bushes. Falter even included their car in the foreground, already decorated for their departure at the end of the evening.
John Clymer (1907-1989)
Backyard Baseball
1950, oil on canvas
35" x 28 3/4", signed lower left
Saturday Evening Post, April 21, 1951 cover
The most American sport, and a favorite summertime activity, baseball was a popular theme for covers of the Saturday Evening Post. John Clymer's portrayal of a young girl winding up her pitch to the expectant batter surely "hit home" with many siblings across the country.
Earl Mayan (1916-2009)
Phillies / Dodgers Game - Dad Carrying Sleeping Son
1955, oil on board
27 1/2” x 21 1/4”, signed lower right
Saturday Evening Post, April 23, 1955 cover
In the 1950's and 60's Earl Mayan worked for the Saturday Evening Post, creating ten covers and many interior illustrations for the publication. His illustrations were excellently composed and filled with small details to entertain the viewer. This charming cover takes place during a Philadelphia Phillies vs. Brooklyn Dodgers baseball game. At the top of the 9th inning with a tied game, this father dutifully carries his sleeping son out of the stands, unable to see if their Dodgers can get a win.
Robert C. Kauffman (1900-1999)
Water-Skiing
1936, oil on canvas
29” x 22”, signed lower right
Saturday Evening Post, June 27, 1936 cover
One of five covers completed for the Saturday Evening Post, Robert C. Kauffman's energetic illustration of a water-skiing couple reflects the joy many feel during the summer. Dressed in typical 1930s swim attire, modern viewers will note the couple is standing on a simple board with rope looped through the top, not the typical gear used today. While it may not be up to modern-day safety protocols, it looks like they are enjoying a brilliant Summer's Day.
John Falter (1910-1982)
Sand Trap
1948, gouache on board
24" x 18", signed lower left
Saturday Evening Post, July 3, 1948 cover
John Falter delighted in painting real people in the midst of real activities. While spending time in Phoenix, Arizona he tagged along with a group of executives on a round of golf to create drawings for a Post cover. Falter chose to highlight a frustrating moment in the game for one player stuck in the sand trap, a very relatable dilemma for almost any amateur golfer. Falter did take some artistic license with the course's landscaping, adding large trees that would not be found in Arizona to frame and balance the composition.
John Lagatta (1894-1977)
Bathing Beauties
1933, oil on canvas
37" x 28", signed lower right
Saturday Evening Post, July 8, 1933 cover
Renowned for his beautiful women, John Lagatta was known to create images of clothed women that seemed as if they had no clothes on at all. For this Summer cover of the Saturday Evening Post Lagatta wanted to ensure all viewer's interests were represented, so he chose to include a blonde, brunette and red head in this single image. In fact, upon first submission to the Post, this cover was rejected for being too risqué for the publication's audience. Lagatta then lowered the hems on the women's bathing suits and resubmitted for publication. If you look closely, you can see a difference in colors at the bottom of the chartreuse and blue bathing suits due to this later addition of fabric.
J.C. Leyendecker (1874-1951)
Couple in Boat
1922, oil on canvas
20 1/2" x 29 1/2”
Arrow Collar advertisement
The era between 1920 and 1930 became the epitome for advertising illustration. Advertisers and their illustrators were missionaries carrying forth messages of whole new “crazes” and fashions to the consumers. The most influential amongst them was J.C. Leyendecker. One of the greatest strengths of Leyendecker’s style was his uncanny ability to focus on a single part of a subject, for example a shirt collar, highlight it, and make it reflect like a facet of a jewel. Leyendecker's most successful campaign was the creation of the Arrow Collar Man. Seen here in Couple in Boat, the Arrow Collar Man epitomizes the look of the classic stylish American man in the Summertime.
Robert Tallon
The Beach
1984, watercolor, pen & ink, and crayon on linen
15" x 11 1/2", signed lower right
The New Yorker, July 9, 1984 cover
Robert Tallon has achieved international acclaim in his fifty-plus years as an illustrator, author, and fine artist. With a diverse portfolio that appeals to the young and old, Talon's work transgresses time, genre, and definition. From his award-winning children's books to his collectible paintings, Tallon's work is a perpetually witty and optimistic reflection of the wondrous world around us. This 1984 cover for The New Yorker humorously depicts the many different scenes one encounters during a day spent at the beach.
Eugene Iverd (1893-1938)
The Pause That Refreshes
Oil on canvas
36" x 23"
Proposed Coca-Cola advertisement
Under the name Eugene Iverd, George Erickson created a large number of illustrations in his short life. With many works for the Saturday Evening Post, including several covers, and advertising commissions from Campbell's Soup and Monarch Foods, Iverd's self-taught artistic talent was widely acknowledge by the illustration art world. A proposed Coca-Cola advertisement, The Pause that Refreshes is a charming scene of two children sharing a soda on a ledge surrounded by the woods with daisies scattered at their feet. As the young girl quickly sips the soda through the straw in the glass bottle the young boy attempts to steal it away before the last drops are gone.
John Clymer (1907-1989)
Central Park Zoo
1953, oil on board
34” x 27”, signed lower right
Saturday Evening Post, July 25, 1953 cover
Instead of his typical Western scenes, John Clymer highlights the beauty of New York City in this 1953 Post cover. While most remember New York by the crowded sidewalks and taxi lined street, Clymer depicts a quiet moment with a group of children and their mothers feeding elephants in the Central Park Zoo. Instead of mountains and vast landscapes in the background, Clymer made sure to include a view of skyscrapers to ensure Post readers knew where this scene took place.
John Clymer (1907-1989)
Coast, La Push, Washington
1957, oil on board
34" x 27", signed lower left
Saturday Evening Post, July 27, 1957 cover
Famous for documenting the American frontier and wildlife, John Clymer painted a beautiful and accurate depiction of Washington state's renowned La Push coastline. The delicate vignettes of children playing in the sand building forts and castles are set against the dramatic cloudy sun shining on the unique island formations. This technique of juxtaposing small, individual storylines against sweeping landscapes was typical of Clymer's Post covers.
Jessie Willcox Smith (1863-1935)
Children at the Beach
1932, oil, mixed media and charcoal on board
22 1/4” x 16 3/8”, signed lower left
Good Housekeeping, August 1932 cover
Although she never married and had no children of her own, Jessie Willcox Smith is considered by many to be the greatest children's book illustrator of the Golden Age. A student of Howard Pyle, Smith created heartwarming images of children and motherhood for books, advertisements and periodicals. From 1918 through 1932, Smith painted exclusively for Good Housekeeping, the August 1932 cover can be seen here. Children at the Beach highlights the joy families find in spending time together by the water.
Haddon Sundblom (1899-1976)
When He Begins to Grow Away from You
1928, oil on canvas
34” x 32”
Cream of Wheat advertisement, 1928
Renowned for his advertising illustrations, Haddon Sundblom created lasting images for many popular products, including Coca-Cola, Quaker Oats, and Cream of Wheat. For this 1928 Cream of Wheat advertisement, Sundblom captured a young boy in a moment of solitude sitting in the summer sun watching his toy boat gently drift across a pond. The beautifully painted image highlights the quieter moments of childhood.
J.C. Leyendecker (1874-1951)
Couple on Raft
1909, oil on canvas
30" x 20", signed lower left
Popular Magazine, August 1909 cover
Leyendecker painted with broad, deliberate brushstrokes, executed with authority and control, never overpainting, rather intriguing the viewer as much with his omissions as his inclusions. Painting exclusively from live models, Leyendecker developed a special mix for his oil paints to allow it to dry quickly, therefore allowing him to paint at the desired speed. Unquestionable draftsmanship coupled with this style of painting was his means to accomplishing the fresh, vibrant “Leyendecker Look.” This 1909 Popular Magazine cover is exemplary of that style that made Leyendecker a success from the beginning of his career.
John Lagatta (1894-1977)
Couple on the Beach
1936, watercolor on board
26” x 25 1/4”, signed lower left
"Happy is the Bride," by Mary Hastings Bradley, Cosmopolitan Magazine, pg. 37
At the height of his career, John Lagatta was creating an illustration a day making over $100,000 per year when the national average was $2,000 - $4,000 annually. He always painted from live models rather than photographs, and frequently had multiple models in his studio at the same time to allow for him to create many illustrations simultaneously. Couple on the Beach is exemplary of Lagatta's classic technique: he created a sketch in charcoal from the live models, then set that layer with fixative before adding colors painted over the drawing. This technique allowed him to create images quickly, but also gave the scenes a wonderful sense of movement and sex appeal.
George Hughes (1907-1990)
First Day at the Beach
1956, oil on canvas
27 1/2” x 21 1/2”, signed lower left
Saturday Evening Post, August 11, 1956 cover
Between 1948 until 1962, when the Post began to use more photographs on their covers, George Hughes painted one hundred and twelve covers. Hughes’ work for the Saturday Evening Post became immediately recognizable and very popular due to his ability to capture typical America with humorous family situations in brilliant colors and accurate settings. A perfect example of that humor is this scene of young summer lover's quiet day on the beach being abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a ruckus family coming over the dunes.
John Falter (1910-1982)
Maine Surf
1948, tempera on board
23” x 17 1/4”, signed lower left
Saturday Evening Post, August 14, 1948 cover
John Falter created this Post cover while reminiscing of the cool air and ocean spray during his summer in Ogunquit, Maine. He captured the excitement of the beachgoers jumping through the waves on the perfect summer day. He even included his wife, Margaret, in the blue bathing suit in the lower left.
Thorton Utz (1914-1999)
Summer Madness
1957, oil and pencil on board
33 1/4" x 19 1/2", signed lower left
Saturday Evening Post, August 17, 1957 cover
Thornton Utz loved Americana and chose to depict everyday scenes that were relatable to broad audiences on his magazine covers. For this August 1957 Saturday Evening Post cover, he appeals to the audience's humor in search of summer love as a teenager. Utz used his daughter, Wendy, and a group of her friends as the models lounging by the pool at the Maridon Lodge in Sarasota, Florida. He actually climbed a ladder across the street to get the right perspective on the scene as the boys in the car screech to a halt before turning around to join the girls.
Leslie Thrasher (1889-1936)
Dad Blowing Up Green Turtle Tube
1931, oil on canvas
15 3/4" x 16", signed lower left
Liberty Magazine, September 5, 1931 cover
In 1926, Leslie Thrasher began a commission contract to paint a cover a week for Liberty Magazine for a six-year period. He was paid $1,000 per cover, the equivalent to $13,500 today. This series was titled For the Love o' Lil and became a favorite among readers. The series followed the lives of an average middle-class couple, Lil Morse and Sandford Jenkins, through their day-to-day lives. For this 1931 cover, Thrasher painted the couple visiting the beach with their child. The humorous scene juxtaposes Lil, striking a beautiful model-like pose, against Sandford, struggling to inflate the turtle tube.
Stevan Dohanos (1907-1994)
Labor Day at Putnam Memorial State Park, Redding, Connecticut
1954, oil on canvas
24 1/4” x 19 1/8”, signed lower right
Saturday Evening Post, September 11, 1954 cover
Stevan Dohanos was considered to be the cultural spokesman for the Saturday Evening Post because of his clear visual images and the poignant glimpses of Americana that they revealed. He would use images from his hometown of Westport, Connecticut and frequently use neighbors in his works. For this 1954 cover, Dohanos depicted nearby Putnam Memorial State Park during the chaotic end-of-Summer activities. Upon close examination countless stories are revealed in each cluster of characters, a testament to Dohanos' excellent storytelling through his illustrations.
J.C. Leyendecker (1894-1951)
Labor Day at the Beach
1932, oil on canvas
32” x 24”, signed lower right
Saturday Evening Post, September 3, 1932 cover
J.C. received his first cover commission for the Saturday Evening Post for the May 1899 issue. From that early commission he quickly became a favorite illustrator by the arts editors, creating some of our most beloved and endearing symbols, iconic images that set the style and tone for entire generations of Americans. Ultimately, Leyendecker produced more Saturday Evening Post covers (322) than anyone else, even Norman Rockwell (who painted 321 different images for the magazine). Always striving to reflect the current events of the country, Leyendecker created a series of iconic summer covers. At the height of the heat in the United States, Leyendecker painted this iconic scene of a lifeguard presiding over a crowded beach on Labor Day. Babies playing in the sand, overweight sunbathers, young summer lovers, and swooning girls complete this perfect end-of-Summer scene.