J.C. Leyendecker produced 322 covers for the Post — one more than Normal Rockwell, who greatly admired the older artist. In addition to creating the iconic Arrow Collar Man, the beau ideal of masculine beauty in the ’20s, Leyendecker created covers for the Post from 1903 to 1943. Many of these featured holiday themes, including his series of New Year babies, which appeared on the Post’s first issue of the year for 35 years. He also painted 27 Easter covers that allowed him to indulge his sense of elegance and his appreciation of fashion, like in this March 23, 1940, cover
titled Easter Fashion.
This article is featured in the March/April 2026 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.
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Comments
I noticed this on my initial look through of the magazine last month. Seeing it on my desktop ‘lit up’ helps me further appreciate the time and effort Leyendecker put into creating it. Everything down to smallest details are absolutely perfect.