Joe De Yong (1894-1975) was an American sculptor, etcher, and historical consultant for
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
movies. His sculptures and etchings depicted the
Old West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
, including Native Americans and cowboys, as well as polo players.
Early life
De Yong was born in 1894 in
Webster Groves, Missouri
Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census.
The city is home to the main campus of Webster University.
Geography
Webster Groves is located at ( ...
.
He grew up in
Washington County, Oklahoma
Washington County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,455. Its county seat is Bartlesville. Named for President George Washington, it is the second smalle ...
.
Career
De Yong began his career by working on
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
movies in Hollywood alongside silent actor
Tom Mix
Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...
.
From 1916 to 1926, he worked for Western artist
Charles M. Russell in Montana and California.
He also worked on
Howard Eaton's ranch in Wyoming.
De Yong subsequently moved to
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...
, where he worked alongside
Edward Borein
Edward Borein (1872–1945) was an American etcher and painter from California. His artwork depicted Spanish Colonial California, the Old West, and Mexico.
Early life
Borein was born in 1872 in San Leandro, California. His maternal grandfath ...
and
Maynard Dixon
Maynard Dixon (January 24, 1875 – November 11, 1946) was an American artist. He was known for his paintings, and his body of work focused on the American West. Dixon is considered one of the finest artists having dedicated most of their art ...
.
He was the official artist of the
rancheros visitadores, an equestrian social club in Santa Barbara.
De Yong returned to the movie industry as a costume designer and historical consultant in the 1930s-1950s. He worked on ''
The Plainsman
''The Plainsman'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. The film presents a highly fictionalized account of the adventures and relationships between Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jan ...
'' in 1937,
''
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
'' in 1939, ''
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, Bison hunting, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa, Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but ...
'' in 1944, ''
Red River'' in 1948, and ''
Shane
Shane may refer to:
People
* Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress
* Shane (New Zealand singer) (born 1946)
* iamnotshane (born 1995), formerly known as Shane, American singer
* Shane (name)
Shane is mainly a masculine g ...
'' 1953.
De Yong's etchings depicted the
Old West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
, including Native Americans and cowboys, as well as polo players.
Death and legacy
De Yong died in 1975 in Los Angeles, California.
His work can be seen at the
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native Americans in the United States, American Indian art works and Artifact (archaeology), ar ...
and the
Will Rogers Museum in Oklahoma, and the
William S. Hart Museum in California.
De Yong's friend,
, inherited his estate and became an art dealer.
Further reading
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Yong, Joe
1894 births
1975 deaths
People from Webster Groves, Missouri
People from Santa Barbara, California
American male sculptors
American etchers
20th-century American sculptors
Artists of the American West
20th-century American male artists