James Philip Head begins his An Affair with Beauty trilogy with The Magic of Youth, a sumptuous novel in which a young woman, Nancy Palmer, meets famed artist Howard Chandler Christy and quickly becomes involved in his glittering, high-society world. A world where Christy is known as one of the foremost commercial artists in the business, creator of the famous ‘Christy Girl’ icon of femininity in the burgeoning magazine and newspaper advertising venues of the early 20th century.
Head’s book is a generously illustrated and only very lightly fictionalized account of Christy’s life and career, and of the relationship between him and Nancy, who would go on to become his second wife.
The combination of novelistic insights and a wealth of straight-up biographical detail, ordinarily a very tricky thing to do well, is something Head does with remarkable confidence, bringing alive the frustrations and triumphs of a man who was once the most popular and sought-after artist in the United States. The reproductions of Christy’s artwork scattered throughout the book adds a great deal to the texture of the story.
I greatly look forward to the next volume.
An Affair with Beauty — The Mystique of Howard Chandler Christy | The Magic of Youth
We rated this book: FIVE STARS
$23.00
An Affair with Beauty—The Mystique of Howard Chandler Christy is a trilogy on the life of the artist written by James Philip Head. The first book in the trilogy, The Magic of Youth, introduces readers to Christy through the perspective of his second wife, Nancy Palmer Christy, who initially met him when she became his model in 1912.
By 1912, Christy had achieved considerable success as an illustrator and portrait artist. His illustrations of various battles and prominent military members during the Spanish- American War garnered attention and respect for his work, including that of Theodore Roosevelt.
Head transports readers flawlessly through Nancy’s transition, at barely twenty years of age, from Poughkeepsie to Manhattan, where she was determined to become the next “Gibson Girl.” Instead, artist Charles Dana Gibson introduced her to Howard Chandler Christy, who hired her as his model, moved her to his home and studio near Zanesville, Ohio, (the Barracks) where he lived a refined life with his young daughter, his parents, and staff.
Head’s writing meticulously uses the language of the era as he allows the story of the first months of work between artist and model to unfold. Through her memories, the complicated genius of one of America’s pre-eminent artists comes to life. The Christy residence hosted luminaries and important events. As Christy’s model, Nancy was privy to insider events and information, including witnessing the visit of his estranged wife and former model, Maebelle. Despite the tension of this turn of events, Nancy does not waiver from her belief that she will one day be not only the Christy Girl, but the wife of Howard Chandler Christy. Her optimism is bolstered by Noel Talbot, Christy’s caretaker, who becomes Nancy’s confidante.
This first installment of the trilogy begins on the day Christy died in 1952, and then circles back to 1912, when he and Nancy met. Amidst the glamour and fame lie hints of shadows from the past. I am looking forward to the second book, Romantic Illusions an excerpt of which is included in The Magic of Youth.
AN AFFAIR WITH BEAUTY
James Philip Head
North Loop Books (2016)
ISBN 9781634138826
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (06/16)
Article first published as Book Review: ‘An Affair With Beauty’ by James Philip Head on Blogcritics.
“An Affair with Beauty – The Mystique of Howard Chandler Christy: The Magic of Youth,” is the first book in a trilogy by James Philip Head about the legendary artist Howard Chandler Christy. Howard is most famous for creating “The Christy Girl,” who was meant to represent the beautiful traits of the women from that era. His main inspiration was his beloved second wife, Nancy Palmer Christy. From the 1910s to the 1930s, she was thought to be one of the most beautiful women of that time. The author tells Howard’s story from the perspective of his wife. In this first book, we learn about how Howard’s achievements with painting people who later became historical legends and his love for painting beautiful women. Howard is also known for illustrating historical events that took place in the United States.
Incorporating vivid detail, photographs, and illustrations into this story, the author brings the Jazz era to life. Being able to see photographs of Howard from his childhood into his old age really helps illustrate the man he was. Having an opportunity to see his paintings and illustrations allowed me to see that while I recognized his famous works, I never knew the artist. He truly played a huge role in illustrating a great deal of American history. Whether he was painting The Signing of the United Nations Charter, or doing a portrait of a famous historical legend like General Douglas MacArthur, he truly knew how to capture the essence of the times. His Christy girls also brought the idea of the beauty of the women, at that time, to life.
By telling this story from the wife’s perspective, the author is also able to capture more of who Howard Chandler Christy really was, at least from her perspective. She was fairly naïve when she met him. He helped introduce her to the upper crust of society. She does well in making an entrance into this world and, she is able to walk us into his past, especially since she was able to visit where he was raised. Nancy Palmer Christy clearly adored her husband and was supportive of his endeavors. Looking through her eyes, we also get to meet his first wife who seems like a very complicated character. Outliving him, Nancy learns a lot more about who he was as she goes through his paperwork while handling his estate. Stepping into the beginning and the end of his life, I am intrigued to see what the next two books will offer regarding Howard’s experiences in the middle parts.
The author, James Philip Head, truly has a gift for writing. His talent to write in vivid detail brings Howard Chandler Christy’s story to life. Having been able to interview people that knew Christy also creates a more intriguing story. Christy was an artist that went from rags to riches and he appeared to have no problems stepping into the upper echelons of society. His friends, many of whom were legends in their own right, appeared to be very loyal to him. He wasn’t just an artist, he was a legend. “An Affair with Beauty” is highly recommended reading for people who enjoy biographies, art history, and books about the history of the United States.
An Affair with Beauty — The Mystique of Howard Chandler Christy | The Magic of Youth
We rated this book: FIVE STARS out of FIVE STARS
$23.00
An Affair with Beauty by James Philip Head is an intriguing biography of Howard Chandler Christy, an artist whose popularity and time period were of fascination to all — especially to readers like myself. I found the descriptions and tellings of this artist vivid and entertaining. I felt like I was there experiencing everything that the known artist himself was doing or experiencing. Sights, sounds, and action. I haven’t heard of Howard Chandler Christy until I stumbled upon this great book. This much-looked-after artist created something that all wanted. Women wanted to be painted by this famous artist. The best part of this biography was that I found out interesting facts, such as Howard having painted more than eight hundred women. That surprised me. Talk about high numbers.
James Phillip Head brilliantly compiled this book into a way that introduced the American illustrator and portraitist. His life, work, and the way others saw the artist, was impressive. An Affair with Beauty made Howard Chandler Christy and his life three-dimensional. The “Christy Girl,” an image created by Howard, was one that was considered the most beautiful image. The artist was obsessed with beauty, in my opinion. He portrayed the beauty he found and focused on that. One of the comments that Howard Chandler Christy said has, and will forever, stick with me. He said, “…nothing in this world lasts forever….Nothing.” It’s true. Nothing does last forever in our world. I think this book was to show how one man captured the essence of beauty and life together because if it’s not captured now, it won’t be there later. I definitely enjoyed reading this biography and I highly recommend to readers everywhere.
Romantic Illusions, the Second Installment in a New Biographical Series Celebrating the Life of One of America’s Most Revered Portrait Painters, Howard Chandler Christy, to Be Released in Spring 2019
WASHINGTON (PRWEB) AUGUST 08, 2018
Foremost American portrait painter Everett Raymond Kinstler, who recently celebrated his 92nd birthday, honors Howard Chandler Christy by penning the foreword in a forthcoming book on the legendary artist who created the famous “Christy Girl” and became the most popular portrait painter of the Jazz Age.
Romantic Illusions is written by author James Philip Head, the preeminent expert on Howard Chandler Christy, and is the second book in a three-part biographical series, "An Affair with Beauty – The Mystique of Howard Chandler Christy", about the illustrious artistic career and intriguing life of the legendary illustrator and portrait painter Howard Chandler Christy.
Kinstler, who has immortalized with his painter’s brush some of the greatest American men and women over the last 70 years including eight U.S. Presidents—his portraits of President Ford and President Reagan are the official White House portraits—ten Secretaries of State and more than fifty Cabinet members, went from high school dropout to painting a veritable who’s who of American history and culture spanning the mid-20th to early 21st centuries. Through his incomparable talent, Kinstler has shaped and advanced the public’s understanding and appreciation of the leaders of this nation. Having painted more than 2,000 paintings of individuals, including noted celebrities and leaders in their field such as Tony Bennett, Katharine Hepburn, Peter O’Toole, Gregory Peck, John Wayne, Paul Newman and most recently Heisman Trophy recipient Eddie George, Kinstler has enhanced our understanding of the extraordinary lives and times of the men and women who have influenced and built our nation. As an illustration of this, the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., has acquired over 100 portraits by Kinstler—more than any other artist.
"What a treat it is to be a part of Jim Head’s biography of Howard Chandler Christy,” says Kinstler, who knew and sketched Christy in 1950. “Jim has approached his subject with honesty, admiration and affection, combining a historian’s dedication and search for truthfulness with an artist’s eye. Christy’s masterful illustrations and portraits greatly influenced my artistic manner and painting.”
In Romantic Illusions, the second book in Head’s An Affair with Beauty trilogy, Christy once again comes to life through the eyes of Nancy Palmer Christy, his wife and former model, as she recounts her first Christmas with Howard and his family at his Ohio mansion, the Barracks, in 1912.
Howard tells of his early years studying art in near-poverty in New York City and his sudden ascent to stardom as the top pupil of William Merritt Chase, the premier portrait painter in America. During “The Great Flood of 1913” – the worst tragedy the Midwest had ever experienced − Howard describes his daring experiences with Teddy Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War in Cuba and his brush with near-certain death, no less than three times. The effects of the war profoundly transform Howard, inspiring him to create his vision of beauty, the “Christy Girl,” which catapults him to fame and fortune.
An Affair with Beauty – The Mystique of Howard Chandler Christy: Romantic Illusions will be released in the spring 2019. Visit AnAffairwithBeauty.com for more information on An Affair with Beauty and the author.
About the Author
As a freshman at the University of Maryland, Jim Head discovered a gilt-edged folio of Charles Dana Gibson’s The Social Ladder in the stacks of the campus library one night, starting him on a journey to learn more about Gibson and the “Illustrators of Beauty.” In turn, he became captivated with the talent, fame and eventual obscurity of Howard Chandler Christy. Over the years, to reveal the true untold story, he has engaged research assistants, uncovered thousands of letters and newspaper articles, and traveled throughout the US to interview dozens of people, including family members, former models, and others who knew the artist and his family. Head is an attorney in Tysons Corner, Virginia where he concentrates in estate planning and trust and estate litigation. He lives in Chantilly, Virginia with his wife, Rita, and daughter, Christianna.
