A warning to the United States Senate
1873
Thomas Nast, the father of the American political cartoon, didn't hold back when calling out corruption. Here, he reimagines the gates of Hell from Dante's Inferno, but instead of 'Abandon all hope,' the archway warns visitors: 'Who ever enters here must leave some $ behind.' A giant dollar sign shield looms overhead as three wealthy-looking gentlemen in top hats peer into the dark interior. It's a biting 1873 critique suggesting that money was the only thing that truly mattered in the Senate, a theme Nast hammered home throughout his career fighting political machines like the Tweed Ring.
Views: 1