Joseph Christian Leyendecker (American, 1874-1951) Save Coal: Keep the War Fires Burning final poster art, 1917 Oil on canvas laid on Masonite 17-1/2 x 44 inches (44.5 x 111.8 cm) (image) Signed lower left: JC Leyendecker J.C. Leyendecker's unsurpassed talent for rendering heroic, idealized figures in a captivating graphic style made for unforgettable contributions of World War I poster art for the American war effort. Through the Division of Pictorial Publicity in 1917—under the direction of Charles Dana Gibson—popular illustrators like Leyendecker were enlisted to create imagery that both recruited soldiers and galvanized support on the home front. Many of these posters remain etched into the American imagination today, such as James Montgomery Flagg's I Want You poster, with Uncle Sam pointing directly at the viewer. Leyendecker's contributions largely focused on encouraging patriotism among civilians, as in this piece: Save Coal: Keep the War Fires Burning. Commissioned by the United States Fuel Administration, the image depicts three laborers operating a large stoker—feeding coal into a massive furnace, performing the grueling yet vital work that powered wartime manufacturing and naval operations. With their faces turned from the viewer and toward the furnace's glow, the men become archetypes of the heroic everyman. The scene suggests that through conservation and effort, ordinary Americans, too, can embody a form of national heroism. Rendered in Leyendecker's signature bold, rhythmic brushwork, the figures immediately recall his famous Arrow Collar Man—an icon of the refined, modern masculine ideal. Here, Leyendecker elevates industrial labor with the same dignity and stylization usually reserved for his most glamorous subjects. As with much of his work, there's also a palpable intimacy: the men are shown in varying states of dress, their bodies physically close, two hands touching as they pull a suggestively placed lever. This visual language invites a reading that is both homoerotic and patriotic, offering a complex message. Save Coal is a masterful, emotionally resonant image, operating on multiple levels to present a layered vision of wartime America. It reflects a nuanced patriotism and serves as a testament to Leyendecker's power as one of the most significant illustrators of the Golden Age. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice