Rockwell and Leyendecker On View at the Elliott

The Elliott Museum will showcase an exceptional collection of works by Norman Rockwell and his mentor, J.C. Leyendecker, debuting November 4

Site Staff

October 21, 2022

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J. C. Leyendecker, (1874-1951), War Hero Telling Stories, 1919, oil on canvas, 27 1/2" x 19 1/2", signed lower right. Saturday Evening Post, May 10, 1919 cover. © 2022 National Museum of American Illustration, Newport, RI, www.americanillustration.org, and the American Illustrators Gallery, New York, NY, www.americanillustrators.com — J. C. Leyendecker, (1874-1951), War Hero Telling Stories, 1919, oil on canvas, 27 1/2″ x 19 1/2″, signed lower right. Saturday Evening Post, May 10, 1919 cover. © 2022 National Museum of American Illustration, Newport, RI, www.americanillustration.org, and the American Illustrators Gallery, New York, NY, www.americanillustrators.com

For the first time in Florida, the Elliott Museum will showcase an exceptional collection of artworks by Norman Rockwell and his mentor, J.C. Leyendecker, debuting to the public with a reception at 5:30 p.m. on November 4.

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), The Doughboy and His Admirers, 1919, oil on canvas, 24 1/2" x 21 1/2", signed lower left. Saturday Evening Post, February 22, 1919 cover. © 2022 National Museum of American Illustration, Newport, RI, www.americanillustration.org, and the American Illustrators Gallery, New York, NY, www.americanillustrators.com — Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), The Doughboy and His Admirers, 1919, oil on canvas, 24 1/2″ x 21 1/2″, signed lower left. Saturday Evening Post, February 22, 1919 cover. © 2022 National Museum of American Illustration, Newport, RI, www.americanillustration.org, and the American Illustrators Gallery, New York, NY, www.americanillustrators.com

The exhibit, on view through March 3, will feature 20 original works—10 by Rockwell and 10 by Leyendecker—along with each artist’s complete collections of vintage Saturday Evening Post covers, totaling 323 by Rockwell and 322 by Leyendecker. The magazine covers date from 1899 through 1963, offering a visual history of both World Wars, the Great Depression, and 16 presidential terms, as well as timeless scenes of family life and childhood.

“We are thrilled that the Elliott Museum promotes classic Americana, and what’s more American than Norman Rockwell?” said Judy Goffman Cutler, director of the National Museum of American Illustration in Newport, Rhode Island. “This configuration has never been seen before in Florida. The scope and poignancy are really brilliant.”

Through this exhibition, Cutler hopes to highlight the mentorship and influence that Leyendecker had with Rockwell. She encourages visitors to compare their artworks, which both reflect on similar moments in American history.

Starting in October, the Elliott Museum will be open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, click here or call the Elliott Museum at (772) 225-1961.