"Circus Bareback Rider, Post Cover" Lot no. 4791
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker (1874-1951)
1932
32" x 24"
Oil on canvas
Signed Lower Left
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The Saturday Evening Post cover, May 14, 1932
EXHIBITED:
National Museum of American Illustration, Newport, Rhode Island, n.d.;
Haggin Museum, Stockton, California, "Michael Dolas: Capturing the Character of His Country," January 17-February 24, 2019.
Joseph Christian Leyendecker’s Circus Bareback Rider (1932) is a standout example of his work for The Saturday Evening Post at the height of his career. Known for capturing the essence of American life, Leyendecker’s covers often reflected contemporary cultural moments. This piece, created during the Great Depression, celebrates the circus—an important form of entertainment at the time—and highlights the daring and elegance of the bareback rider, a symbol of skill and bravery.
The circus, with its acrobats and exotic animals, offered a temporary escape from daily struggles, and Leyendecker masterfully conveys this through his depiction of the rider atop a galloping horse. His precise detailing, use of cross-hatching, and balance of realism with idealism are evident in the rider’s poised figure and the dynamic energy of the horse. The contrast between the sharp focus on the rider and the soft mane of the horse adds depth to the composition, while the rider’s flamboyant costume and the dramatic lighting evoke the atmosphere of a thrilling performance.
Leyendecker’s ability to capture movement in a still image is on full display, with the fluid curves of the horse and fluttering details of the rider’s attire creating a palpable sense of motion. The confident posture of the rider, contrasted with the implied speed of the horse, enhances the tension in the scene, symbolizing both grace and strength—qualities that echoed the resilience of the American spirit during the economic hardship of the time.
By 1932, Leyendecker had become one of America’s most celebrated illustrators. Circus Bareback Rider not only celebrates the circus but also serves as a metaphor for perseverance and dignity in the face of adversity, reflecting the enduring American spirit during a difficult era.
Explore related art collections: Horses / Saturday Evening Post Covers
See all original artwork by Joseph Christian Leyendecker
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Joseph Christian Leyendecker was born in Montabaur, Germany, and came to America at the age of eight. Showing an early interest in painting, he got his first job at 16 in a Chicago engraving house on the strength of some larger pictures he had painted on kitchen oilcloth. In the evenings after work, he studied under Vanderpoel at the Chicago Art Institute, and saved for five years to be able to go to France and attend the Academie Julian in Paris.
Upon his return, as a thoroughly trained artist with immense technical facility, Leyendecker had no difficulty in obtaining top commissions for advertising illustrations and cover designs for the leading publications. His first Post cover was done in 1899, and he did well over 300 more during the next 40 years. Among the most famous of these was his annual New Years Baby series.
His advertising illustrations made his clients famous. The Arrow Collar Man was a byword for the debonair, handsome male, and women wrote thousands of love letters to him in care of Cluett Peabody & Company. His illustrations for Kuppenheimer Clothes were equally successful in promoting an image of suited elegance. He was elected to the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1977.A major retrospective exhibition of Leyendecker's work was mounted at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in 1997-98.
Joseph Christian Leyendecker was born in Montabaur, Germany, and came to America at the age of eight. Showing an early interest in painting, he got his first job at 16 in a Chicago engraving house on the strength of some larger pictures he had painted on kitchen oilcloth. In the evenings after work, he studied under Vanderpoel at the Chicago Art Institute, and saved for five years to be able to go to France and attend the Academie Julian in Paris.
Upon his return, as a thoroughly trained artist with immense technical facility, Leyendecker had no difficulty in obtaining top commissions for advertising illustrations and cover designs for the leading publications. His first Post cover was done in 1899, and he did well over 300 more during the next 40 years. Among the most famous of these was his annual New Years Baby series.
His advertising illustrations made his clients famous. The Arrow Collar Man was a byword for the debonair, handsome male, and women wrote thousands of love letters to him in care of Cluett Peabody & Company. His illustrations for Kuppenheimer Clothes were equally successful in promoting an image of suited elegance. He was elected to the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1977.A major retrospective exhibition of Leyendecker's work was mounted at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in 1997-98.
Kent Steine