How German Refugee Thomas Nast Invented How Santa Claus Looks Back During the Civil War. He is frequently credited with having originated the American political cartoon. Artist Haddon Sundblom was commissioned by the soda company to draw Santa, and it was him in 1931 who painted the figure in his. This changed in 1863, when Harper's Weekly hired a 21-year-old named Thomas Nast to draw a picture of Santa Claus bringing gifts to troops fighting in the American Civil War. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Nicholas was a historic 4th-century Greek saint (from an area now in modern day Turkey) who had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes left out for him. 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); Copyright 2023 Golden Peak Media. 1881 illustration by Thomas Nast who, along with Clement Clarke Moores poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, helped to create the modern image of Santa Claus His most famous drawing of Santa Claus appeared in the January 1, 1881 issue of Harpers Weekly. A year later, the company chose an image of Santa designed by Haddon Sundblom to appear in a widespread magazine ad campaign . Our Sites: WetCanvas | Southwest Art | Collector's Guide. They had five children, Julia, Thomas, Jr., Edith, Mabel, and Cyril. Thomas Nast (1840-1902) was born in Bavaria, Germany. In 1860 he went to England for the New York Illustrated News and in the same year went to Italy to cover Giuseppe Garibaldis revolt for The Illustrated London News and American publications. Thomas Nast was a 19th-century German-born American cartoonist and caricaturist who is considered to be the Father of the American Cartoon. He is best known for his political cartoons, which appeared regularly in Harpers Weekly and were a major influence on public opinion during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. Over the next several years, Nast continued to draw Santa Claus in various cartoons and illustrations for Harpers Weekly. Other artists, including Haddon Sundblom and J.C. Leyendecker, also contributed to the development of the Santa Claus character. hbspt.forms.create({portalId: "6817144",formId: "a36f91dc-2cbf-4f96-9d1a-bf390cb71586"}); Artists Network is with you every step of your art journey. Santa goes by several names in different parts of the world and the way he's depicted varies, but in most countries he's shown as a somewhat heavy man in red. Publishing regularly in Harper's. At times, though, his satire could be downright prejudiced, particularly against the Irish and the Catholics, and he used many stereotypes common in his time. Washington Irving promoted him in his 1809 A History of New York, a fictional work concerning New Yorks Dutch history. Given the assignment to draw on-the-scene sketches at the front, Nast began expressing his personal views on the war through his cartoons. In the past Santa Claus was presented in various ways but Nast conceived and introduced our modern image of Santa Claus. Thomas Nast was most actively involved in political commentary during his long career. Instead, it would be illustrations by an immigrant living in New York City in the coming years that would take the St. Nicholas portrayed in the poem and turn him into modern-day Santa Claus. published in 1823 in the Troy Sentinental: he was "chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf"; he arrived on a sleigh drawn by flying . Prior to Nasts work, Santas outfit was tan in color, and it was he that changed it to red, although he also drew Santa in a green suit. Arriving in New York City at the age of six, Nast first attended German language schools. A political cartoonist who originated the familar symbols of the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey [above from a post-war edition of Harper's Weekly showing a rampaging elephant heading blindly over a cliff while the donkey becomes the proverbial *** in a lion's skin], Nast is thought to have been the first artist . fbq('init', '271837786641409'); He is often credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus, although his portrayal was not the first and was actually based on earlier depictions of the jolly, gift-giving figure. In exchange, Sinterklaas promises to visit them every year on his airborne sleigh and slip down the chimneys of this newly founded city to deliver gifts to the children. From the 19th century: Thomas Nast's vision of old Saint Nick. Thomas Nast, (born September 27, 1840, Landau, Bavarian Palatinate [now Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany]died December 7, 1902, Guayaquil, Ecuador), American cartoonist, best known for his attack on the political machine of William M. Tweed in New York City in the 1870s. The political cartoonist Thomas Nast, who was a Lincoln-loving, abolition-advocating, Union-supporting Republican from New York published his first Santa on Jan. 3, 1861 in Harper's Weekly.. Threats of retribution by Tweed and his cronies made Nast and his family leave New York in 1871. In 1931, Coca-Cola decided to broaden its market to children. In fact, when Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly in 1862, Santa was a small elflike figure who supported the Union. His most famous drawing of Santa Claus appeared in the January 1, 1881 issue ofHarpers Weekly. In typical Nast fashion, the selection of toys and military-style bags from which they emerge carried political meanings that would have been understandable to Nasts original audience. Did Thomas Nast Draw Santa Claus In Harper's Christmas? Send us an email and we'll look for an expert who can crack it. Thomas Nast, (born September 27, 1840, Landau, Bavarian Palatinate [now Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany]died December 7, 1902, Guayaquil, Ecuador), American cartoonist, best known for his attack on the political machine of William M. Tweed in New York City in the 1870s. [Got a question? } Beginning in1860's, Mr. Nast drew pictures of Santa Claus for an American publication called Harper's Weekly. You can find him in the department stores of Tokyo and Singapore as well as New York and London. Living in New York City, he dropped out of school in favor of studying drawing with fellow German-American Theodore Kaufmann and at the National Academy of Design. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Nast arrived back in New York in1861 and in September he married Sarah Edwards. Thomas Nast and Santa Claus. What does coarsened facial features mean? In the pastSanta Claus was presented in various ways butNast conceived and introduced our modern image of Santa Claus. For this reason, Santa is still sometimes referred to as Saint Nick. He is credited with one particular miracle: liberating the city of Nancy, capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, from its Burgundian assailants. He supported Abraham Lincoln and President Abraham Lincoln described Nast as the "best recruiting sergeant" for the Union cause since his sketches inspired readers to support the war effort. The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. January 24, 1863 Nast built on this during the Civil War - a time when people needed to be reminded of the simple gestures to bring happiness to their lives. In this view of Southern justice, a Northerner and a black man are accused of murder and then lynched, while in another panel a Southern gentleman accused of murder is humorously chided by the court. That pagan figure appeared in numerous Victorian images. His most famous achievement was the resurrection of three young boys killed and placed in a salting tub by a butcher. Probably not, but he is the one remembered in history. The Santa Claus we leave milk and cookies for on Christmas Eve is largely a 19th-century phenomenon. The Dwarf and the Giant Thief by Thomas Nast, The Hudson River School: American Art and Early Environmentalism, The Classical Elegance of Beaux-Arts Architecture. September 2, 1876 Nasts cartoons were among the first to portray Santa Claus as a plump, jolly old man with a white beard and a red suit, and his illustration of the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey are still used today. This depiction got progressively bigger o. The significant role played by bitcoin for businesses! However, his roots run deeper. One of the first artists to define Santa Clauss modern image was Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist of the 19th century who immortalized Santa Claus with an illustration for the 3 January 1863 issue of Harpers Weekly in which Santa was dressed in an American flag, and had a puppet with the name Jeff written on it. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf., In this poem inspired by the folk legends of the German, Dutch and Norwegian communities settled in the United States, one no longer recognizes the austere Bishop of Myra! Dressed in robes, with a crown of holly in his head, Father Christmas was a Dionysus-like figure who livened up some pretty wild Christmas parties. October 24, 1874 Doing his first sketches as a teenager, he became a staff illustrator for Harpers Weekly, one of the most popular magazines of the day, in 1862. cartoonist Thomas Nast Nasts influence on the image of Santa Claus can still be seen today, in the many variations on the traditional Santa Claus costume that are worn by people around the world during the Christmas season. Much earlier, the American cartoonist Thomas Nast fashioned Santa Clauss image on the pages of the American magazine, The character of Santa Claus is believed to descend from Bishop Nicholas of Myra, who lived in the 4, The cult of Saint Nicholas did not escape Europes religious upheavals. Nasts Santa appeared as a kindly figure representing Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of Christ. Also a trained anthropologist, Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms. The story of Santa Claus stems from a real man who started out as a monk and became the patron saint of children. For the next 30 years Nast continued to draw Santa changing the color of his coat from tan to the red hes known for today. The patron saint of children, among other things, St. Nicholas is also associated with generosity. Curiously, the Church celebrates his birthday not on December 6, but on the day of his death. Nasts first published drawing of Santa Claus appeared in Harpers Weekly in 1862, in a cartoon titled Santa Claus and His Works. In this drawing, Santa is depicted as a small, chubby figure with a long white beard, wearing a red suit and carrying a sack of toys. Boss Tweed operated with impunityuntil he got under the skin of a 30-year-old political cartoonist named Thomas Nast. Abolitionist cartoonist Thomas Nast had a big role in manufacturing the US version of the Christmas patriarch. From his pen came the Republican Partys elephant, Tammany Halls tiger, and one of the most popular images of Santa Claus. The best-known Thomas Nast image of Santa Claus, one that continues to adorn Christmas cards and ornaments, is his 1881 Merry Old Santa Claus. His drawings appeared for the first time in Harpers Weekly on March 19, 1859, when he illustrated a report exposing police corruption; Nast was 18 years old at that point. Images of the Anglo-American Santa Claus or Father Christmas has come to dominate the modern Christmas. Who Drew Santa first? The appearance of today's Santa Claus was set. (Image by Alamy) Santa Claus, as drawn by Thomas Nast and, increasingly, by many others, became the standard bearer of the newly defined secular part of Christmas. This cartoon was published just a few weeks after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Its widely believed that todays Santa wears a red suit because thats the colour associated with CocaCola, but this isnt the case. Santas Portrait (below),a color illustration by the noted German born American political cartoonist Thomas Nast, appeared in an 1881 edition of Harpers Magazine. Despite his important role in shaping the modern image of Santa Claus, Nast was not the only artist to depict the figure during this time. St. Nicholas's migration to the North Pole is due most directly to Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist who submitted 33 Christmas drawings to Harper's Weekly magazine between 1863 and 1886, one of which featured a village called "Santa Claussville, N.P.". In President Lincolns words, Santa Claus became his best recruiting agent! The magazine cover showed Santa Claus looking sad as he watched the young soldiers part with their families, and handed out gifts to Unionist men. On a Christmas cover of Harpers Weekly, he depicted himself in front of the fireplace, holding a long mother-of-pearl (meerschaum) pipe that was very popular at the time in Germany and the Netherlands. Nast gives higher purpose to the horror of war in his multi-part depiction of the past lives of African Americans and the future Emancipation could bring them. Before the CocaCola Santa was even created, St Nick had appeared in numerous illustrations and written descriptions wearing a scarlet coat. googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; German-born political cartoonist Thomas Nast gave America some of its most enduring symbols: the Republican elephant, the Democratic donkey, and Uncle Sam. // cutting the mustard Several American artists played a role in turning the image of a slim saint in bishop's robes into a chubby, jolly old man in tall boots. Nasts illustrations in Harpers Weekly were printed in black and white. In the 19th century, British and American culture transformed Christmas into the wholesome holiday celebrated today. The History and Legend of Santa Claus. The Fourteenth Amendment, granting black men the right to vote, was ratified in July 1868. What political cartoonist is responsible for Santa Claus? ' Register or In fact, when Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harpers Weekly in 1862, Santa was a small elflike figure who supported the Union. In 1822, the American writer Clement Clark Moore featured Santa Claus/Saint Nicholas heavily in his poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas. Columbia asks, "Shall I Trust These Men, and Not This Man?". He then studied for a time at the National Academy of Design and when he was about 15-years-old he started working as a draftsman for Leslies Illustrated Newspaper. Publishing regularly inHarper's Weekly, the celebrated Nast drew thousands of cartoons during the second half of the nineteenth century. In the 1920s, the company began to run magazine ads aimed at reminding people that Coca-Cola wasn't just a summer drink . After 1854, the Society expanded its political control even further by earning the loyalty of the citys rapidly expanding immigrant community, which functioned as its base of political capital. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Thomas Nast built upon this 19th-century persona when he began drawing Santa for Harpers Weekly. Nast routinely criticized him for this corruption, depicting him here as only having money for brains. Thomas Nast did not invent the American Christmas, but the German immigrant did develop the iconic image of its central celebratory figure, Santa Claus. She holds a bachelors degree in Communication from Hofstra University where she graduated with honors. Every black vote became a threat to white Southerners' political power. How did Ida Tarbell expose the Standard Oil monopoly quizlet? The former Bishop Nicholas, deprived of his miter and cross, was completely unrecognizable as a jolly grandfather with a long white beard. What is the history of the image of Santa Claus? !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) Thomas Nast was born onSeptember 27, 1840, in Landau, Germany. The drawing was by 22-year-old Thomas Nast, who was born in Germany and came to New York with his family at age 6. The cartoon is lampooning the corruption of Boss Tweed in New York City politics. Today, one can still admire the stained-glass depiction of Nicholas carrying a bishops cross and miter. Nasts Santa Claus clothes were neither red (as Coca-Colas Santa Claus would later be), nor green (as those of Saint Nicholas often were), but rather brown with short bristles, in accordance with the description contained in Clement Clark Moores poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (circa 1880), more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas: He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot; And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. Thomas Nast is considered to bethe Father of the American Cartoon and the man who conceived and introduced our modern image of Santa Claus. Nast's Santa appeared as a kindly figure representing Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of Christ. Yet his Dutch name was distorted and Americanized into Santa Claus. What is annual increase cap discount for flood insurance? He particularly targeted corrupt New York City politician William Boss Tweed, head of the powerful Tammany Hall political group. He gained weight, grew a beard, wore fur and kept his peddlers bag on his shoulder: a right jolly old elf. Nast immortalized this transformation in his best portraits, sometimes depicting his own children and his Morristown family home in New Jersey. Heres how it works. In 1823, the second artist, a professor by the name of Doctor Clement Clarke Moore, presented his family with a poem about Santa to amuse his grandchildren and that Santa took over. His new fame spread all over the New World. Originally, children hoped to receive presents from him on St. Nicholass Day, celebrated on December 6th. "Without Thomas Nast, our vision of Santa Claus might be very different. Santa appears in the left center image on the leaf. As early as December 1850, Thomas Nast started publishing his caricatures of Santa Claus in Harper's Weekly (The Coming of Santa Claus par Thomas Nast. Why did Thomas Nast draw Santa Claus? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. It was he who created the symbol of the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey, and who popularized the figure of Uncle Sam. Nast makes it clear that Santa supports the Union, not the Confederacy. It shows a Santa in an egg-shaped profile, turning towards the viewer and carrying an armful of toys. About Us | Where to Find Us| Careers | Partnerships | Advertise with Us | Media Kit | Current Issue | Articles | Education |La Boutique | Subscribe | Contact Us | TV5MONDE Guide. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Abraham Lincoln called him our best recruiting sergeant. During Reconstruction, Nasts cartoons portrayed Pres. How did Ida Tarbell help end the Standard Oil monopoly? Santa Claus represents one of the Christmas seasons most iconic images. Nast first drew Santa Claus for the 1862 Christmas season Harper's Weekly cover and cen. In 1859 he moved to the New York Illustrated Newsand in 1860 he was sentto Englandproviding coverage of a major prizefight and he also went to Italy to provide coverage of Garibaldis campaigns in Italy. It was the 1930s, in the middle of the depression, and not a happy time for many people. His wife and children made cameo appearances, and their Morristown home often served as the backdrop. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). in Art History from Drew University, where she received the Stanley Prescott Hooper Memorial Prize in Art History. Pre Janvier, Father Christmas, Christkindl, Santa Claus Whatever name you happen to give him, Santa and his origins still spur controversy. How German Refugee Thomas Nast Invented How Santa Claus Looks Back During the Civil War. He presented an as yet unseen Santa Claus, a cheery fellow with ruddy cheeks: He had a broad face and a little round belly; That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly! More recent images, from Norman Rockwells Saturday Evening Post and Haddon Sundbloms illustrations for Coca-Cola to ubiquitous shopping mall Santas and Christmas ornaments, all trace their appearances in part back to Nasts vision. Emancipation of Negroes, The Past and the Future. In 1875, Louis Prang, the father of the American Christmas card, printed a series of postcards with a Santa Claus in a red costume. Thomas Nast, "Santa Claus in Camp (from Harper . Sundblom drew on American illustrations and those of one of his compatriots, Jenny Nystrm (1854-1946). Conozca a la influyente autora y figura clave del Renacimiento de Harlem. For many of us, the bearded present-giver in the red suit remains a time-honored part of the holiday season, long after were stopped believing hell have a present for us. She wrote her honors thesis on the life and work of early-20th century art theorist Roger Fry. Answer (1 of 9): Authors have historically depicted Santa Claus as fat which has influenced our modern conception of Santa Claus. You can, however, find many versions that have been hand-colored by their owners. In the right corner of the drawing Santa Claus is shown riding a sleigh pulled by reindeer. He was appointed consul general at Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 1902. This image helped to cement the idea of Santa as a jolly, kind-hearted figure who brings joy to children on Christmas. His clearest early ancestor was St. Nicholas, a 4th-century CE bishop from Myra, in modern-day Turkey. Irvings book recounts the odyssey of a Dutch crew leaving Amsterdam in the 17th century for America. Nast's Civil War era cartoons established the fat jolly elf from the North Pole with a sack filled with presents as the focus of the December 24 th dreams of hundreds of millions of children . Nast did some painting in oil and book illustrations, but his fame rests on his caricatures and political cartoons. (History & Facts). Corrections? Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol of 1843, for example, dates to this period. The cult of St. Nicholas had died in Europe with the Protestant Reformation except in the Netherlands, where, on December 5 of each year, the eve of his feast day, Dutch children would set out their shoes in hopes that . This is because pre-19th century Christmas celebrations were less about presents and family than they were about drinking, feasting, and carousing. Her primary interests are American art, particularly 19th-century painting, and medieval European art and architecture. It is because of Nast that we have the donkey and the elephants as symbols for the two major political parties in the United States, it is because of Nast that we have a goateed Uncle Sam, and it is because of Nast that we have the modern Santa Claus. Except for the pipe-smoking, the smiling, bearded, ruddy cheeked, red suit wearing, portly old gent sporting a bundle of toys is pretty much the same figure appearing in the iconic Coca Cola ads that appear in the 1930s, some 50 years later. Credit: Courtesy: Harvard College Library, Sign up for the American Experience newsletter! He was known for his generosity and for discreetly helping the poor and unfortunate. His illustrations supported the cause he believed was just, and the candidate he thought was best. No. Nasts Santa Claus is based on a number of different sources, including the Dutch legend of Sinterklaas, British and American Christmas traditions, and the Christian bishop Saint Nicholas. A child weeps after receiving a stick as a present, while a little girl lovingly cuddles a miniature of the bishop saint the way she would a doll. Beginning in 1881, she had published postcards depicting Nordic elves that also followed the Saint Nicholas tradition. He portrays Santa Claus as being chubby, funny, with a long white beard, together a reindeer pulled sleigh on a roof. Get the latest on new films and digital content, learn about events in your area, and get your weekly fix of American history. Her paintings remain popular in Sweden today, where they are reprinted every year. Nasts caricature of the fleeing political boss led to Tweeds identification and arrest in Vigo, Spain, in 1876. Nast would also become known for the modern representation of Santa Claus as a jolly, rotund man living at the North Pole. Which aspect of Upton Sinclairs life best explains his reasons for writing The Jungle? Some of this rowdiness likely held over from the pagan Winter Solstice celebrations. Womanhouse: An Iconic Feminist Installation by Miriam Schapiro and Judy Chicago, 11 Most Expensive Fine Art Photography Auction Results In The Last 10 Years, The Great Schism: How the Christian Churches Split, Who Were The Druids Of Roman Britain? by Jasmine Liu December 23, 2021. While his Civil War-era drawings are powerful, and his Santa Claus depictions forever etched on the American psyche in his rendition of Christmas's secular centerpiece, he is best known for attacking the political machine of William M. Tweed in New York City in the 1870s. Tweet. Despite his political activism, Thomas Nast is better known for something else changing Christmas forever by creating the modern-day image of Santa Claus. In 1862, Nast began working for Harpers Weekly, which would publish his most celebrated and influential work. The same issue also contained another Nast illustration juxtaposing a soldier in the field with his wife and children at home. 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