Thomas Nast
Father of American political cartooning
Thomas Nast was a German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist often considered to be the "Father of the American Cartoon". He was a critic of Democratic Representative "Boss" Tweed and the Tammany Hall Democratic party political machine. Among his notable works were the creation of the modern version of Santa Claus (based on the traditional German figures of Sankt Nikolaus and Weihnachtsmann) and the political symbol of the elephant for the Republican Party (GOP). Contrary to popular belief, Nast did not create Uncle Sam (the male personification of the United States Federal Government), Columbia (the female personification of American values), or the Democratic donkey, though he popularized those symbols by his artwork. Nast was associated with the magazine Harper's Weekly from 1859 to 1860 and from 1862 until 1886.
Relationship Network
Master student
- Theodor Kaufmann Master
Artworks by this artist
- Stop, thief!. 1871
- James Gillespie Blaine 1888
- An awful dose 1871
- The wearing of the green 1871
- On to Washington!. 1871
- The new board of education 1871
- We fights mit sigel 1869
- Anything to beat Grant!. 1872
- One vote less 1868
- Speaker Carlisle
- Our rising generation 1871
- Keep the ball rolling. — Campaign song 1868
- Next!. 1871
- Bringing the thing home–(Dedicated to the Baltimore Convention) 1872
- The crown covers a multitude of shortcomings 1888
- Whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad 1878
- Not for sale 1878
- The same tunes by another fiddle will sound as sweet 1872
- Church and state — no union upon any terms 1871
- Reveille in camp — 5 a.m 1863