Thomas Nast
Thomas Nast “The Prince of Caricaturists” had an exorbitant talent in art. He was without question one of the major reason Harper’s Weekly was so successful in its time. Harper’s Weekly was an American political magazine based in New York City. Some of his famous illustrations were the donkey, as a symbol for Democratic Party, the Elephant as a symbol for the Republican Party, and he even created the “modern” image of Santa Claus, which I think is pretty awesome. Having this amazing talent and exposing it to the people was a huge way to impact people’s lives in a political and daily life sort of way. His art was a way to speak his mind, and prove that he wasn’t just some guy who liked to draw. Overall Nast made a big impact on politics in his day, and also used his cartoons to stick it to the man! The man in this case was “Boss” Tweed. Nast influenced so many people, impacted so many different situations, and managed to leave a legacy that is still here today.
At the age of fifteen Thomas was given a job as a reportorial artist for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, he also worked for New York Illustrated News, then traveled to England to cover a Prizefight. After all of that he went to Sicily to report on Giuseppe Garibaldi’s military campaign. So it is clear that Thomas’ talent was recognized at a fairly young age. As well as being very good at drawing with ink and pen, Nast also had the skill to make pictures for the woodblock also. The woodblock is when you basically to “carve” your picture into a woodblock so it could be used as a stamp to put on the newspaper, and that took skill.
Nast was a Radical Republican and a huge supporter of the Union who used his “allegory and melodrama” in his art to express what he thought was right and just. “Compromise With the South”, one of Nast’s most impacting works is said to have given him “instant fame.” This Cartoon was reprinted across large areas by the Republicans to try to get...