J. C. Leyendecker Saturday Evening Post cover, November 24, 1928

Auction result: $98,587.50 on  October 31, 2004.

JOSEPH CHRISTIAN LEYENDECKER (1874-1951)Saturday Evening Post cover, November 24, 1928
Oil on canvas
28.5in. x 20.5in. (sight size)
Initialed lower left: JCL

As Michael Schau noted in J.C. Leyendecker, "Leyendecker painted his first Saturday Evening Post cover in 1899 and he continued to work for the magazine until 1943, creating 322 covers for The Post. The reputation gained as a result of his magazine covers established Leyendecker as one of America's most popular illustrators." This painting is reproduced on page 142 of Michael Schau's book. Leyendecker was elected to the Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame in 1977.

This sensational painting shows America's evolution over three centuries of Thanksgiving holidays. From the accomplishments of the stern, pioneering, and freedom-fighting colonists of 1628, to the entertainments provided by the battered, yet playful grid-iron stalwarts of 1928, this blessed country has plenty to celebrate each November. Both figures regard each other as they are each given a heroic and monumental presence by Leyendecker. His vigorous and energetic brushwork bathes the figures in a sparkling light, creating a noble vision of pure Americana.