Howard Chandler Christy
1873–1952 · American illustrator and painter
Howard Chandler Christy (1873-1952) was an American painter and illustrator born in Morgan County, Ohio. He is best known for the "Christy Girl", a poised and elegant image of the society woman that followed the "Gibson Girl" and became a familiar face in early twentieth-century magazines.
After studying in New York under William Merritt Chase, he first gained attention as an illustrator of the Spanish-American War in publications such as Scribner's and Collier's Weekly. He then moved away from war subjects, illustrated works by writers such as Richard Harding Davis and, during the First World War, produced patriotic posters.
In the 1920s and 1930s he worked as a portrait painter for political and social figures, including First Lady Grace Coolidge, and as a muralist. Beyond illustration, his best-known work is the Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States (1940), installed in the United States Capitol. His legacy lies in the image of modern womanhood he spread through the press of his day.
Works (2)
Full-length portrait of Grace Goodhue Coolidge, wife of President Calvin Coolidge, painted in 1924 by Howard Chandler Christy. The sitter stands in a light-toned gown set against a restrained background, and the canvas also includes a dog, Rob Roy. The work is held at the White House. Without further documentation, the painting can only be described as a formal image of the first lady of its era.
Where to see the work
- United States Capitol Washington, D.C. · 1
- White House Washington, D.C. · 1
Curiosities
A contest for readers
The Washington Herald invited women in Washington to send photographs of themselves or of someone they knew, and Christy would choose one of them. The winning photograph earned a prize of 25 dollars. In 1921-1922 Christy also sat on the jury of the Motion Picture Classic "Fame and Fortune" contest, alongside Harrison Fisher and Neysa McMein, which discovered Clara Bow.
A poster with a reputation for effectiveness
According to a writer for The Lafayette, the poster Gee!! I Wish I Were a Man! was the most effective of the forty posters Christy produced for the war effort, and it is credited with helping to enlist 25,000 men. It belonged to the graphic propaganda promoted by the Committee on Public Information, which Woodrow Wilson had established to rally American support for the war.
A work in Jack London's cottage
One of Christy's works hangs above a desk and typewriter in Jack London's cottage, located in Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen, California. It is a striking detail, since it shows how his images reached private interiors well beyond the art world.