Knights in shining armor, flirtatious high society couples and portraits of American opulence adorn the walls of the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art. The spring semester exhibition, “Illustrating Modern Life,” opened last Saturday and features selected works from what is considered the golden age of American illustration. The collection, part of the Kelly Foundation, includes pieces by Leyendecker, Pyle, Rockwell, Dunn, Wyeth and more.
This era of American art originated in the late 19th century and persisted through the 1930s and 40s. As a result of society’s rapid industrialization and growth in literacy, everyday citizens sought out books and magazines as primary sources of entertainment more than ever before. Publishing companies, including The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal and LIFE, featured colorful illustrations on their covers and in their pages that then set the standard for lifestyles, fashion and cultural attitudes. Essentially, the new abundance in illustrations helped define the American Dream.
For instance, Leyendecker’s “A Modern Witch,” which appeared on the cover of LIFE Magazine in 1923, depicts a housewife riding a sophisticated vacuum, suggesting how modern technology granted women ample free time. His charming “Florist” also portrays the ideal fashion for high-class men during that time. Both paintings are on display downstairs.
Other paintings underscore the importance of print literature, especially detective and children’s adventure books. Several represent dramatized medieval scenes, most notably Wyeth’s “The Boy’s King Arthur.” Works by Schaeffer and Cornwell, showcased upstairs, also depict suspenseful, key moments from mystery novels, which underwent significant proliferation during the early 20th century.
Collectively, the exhibition elicits nostalgia for an idealized era long gone, crystallized by images of remote familiarity. It is a journey through American identity that invites viewers to engage in storytelling and the imagination. Michael Zakian, director of the Weisman Museum and art history professor, explained that the exhibition shows “how an artist can tell a story through a single painting. That is really what it is all about.”
“This exhibit is particularly interesting because it shows some of the founding art and images that we base our media and fashion on today,” Andrea Nikolic, a Pepperdine University student said.
The exhibition will be on display from Jan. 12 through March 31. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free for students.