why did thomas nast draw santa claus plump and smiling

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. The History and Legend 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. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. In 1902, he . It was he who created the symbol of the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey, and who popularized the figure of Uncle Sam. With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Nast vigorously supported the cause of the Union and opposed slavery from his drawing board at Harpers Weekly. 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. Santa Claus distributes gifts to Union troops in Nasts first Santa Claus cartoon, (1863). From the 19th century: Thomas Nast's vision of old Saint Nick. As Nast told his first biographer, Albert Bigelow Paine, he started drawing at an early age, to the exclusion of pretty much all else. "He was a kind bishop who lived in Asia Minor in AD 300. Corrections? Over the years, he portrayed Santa making toys, separating the naughty children from the nice, stealthily delivering presents, and more. A December 1930 ad by artist Fred Mizen showed a department store Santa in a crowd drinking a bottle of Coke. 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. He is frequently credited with having originated the American political cartoon. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, 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. His portrayals of Santa Claus helped to create the enduring image of a jolly, white-bearded man in a red suit who brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately he contracted yellow fever in Ecuador and diedon December 7, 1902. Originally, children hoped to receive presents from him on St. Nicholass Day, celebrated on December 6th. Columbia's sympathetic gesture towards a wounded black soldier is a reply to a previous panel in which Southern landowners ask her forgiveness. During the Civil War, a Nast drawing from 1862 depicted Nicholas as a peddler wearing the colors of the American flag; published on the cover of Harper's Weekly, he became the hero of the Unionists (anti-slavery Yankees). Santas Portrait (below),a color illustration by the noted German born American political cartoonist Thomas Nast, appeared in an 1881 edition of Harpers Magazine. 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. In the aftermath of World War II, the figure of Santa Claus became as well established as Coca-Cola and chewing gum, proving that its popularity was tied to Americas prestige in France in the immediate postwar period. Thomas Nast: Learn About the Man Behind Santa Claus, Christmas Eve Santa Claus Waiting for the Children to Get to Sleep by Thomas Nast, Emancipation of the Negroes The Past and the Future by Thomas Nast, Can the Law Reach Him? Many of Nasts most effective cartoons, such as his Tammany Tiger Loose and Group of Vultures Waiting for the Storm to Blow Over (both 1871), were virulent attacks on New Yorks Tammany Hall political machine led by Boss Tweed. His cult began in Northern Europe at the time of the Crusades, particularly in Lorraine, of which he became the patron saint in the Middle Ages. ", "One Less Vote." 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 Nast made 33 Harpers Christmas illustrations from 1863 through 1886, and almost all of them feature Santa. His father was a musician in a military band with strong political opinions, and he decided the family would be better off living in America. He is considered the "Father of the American Cartoon." Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. While the roots of the Santa story go back hundreds of years it is undeniable that the soft drink companys advertising campaigns around the Christmas holidays embedded their image of Santa firmly in the nations imagination. Nast's depiction of Santa brought home the loneliness of war, the sadness of soldiers on the front, and the worry and heartache suffered by those at home. But Nast's racial attitudes like those of many other Americans were not without contradictions. 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 . Thomas Nast and Santa Claus. Thomas Nast, "Santa Claus in Camp (from Harper . Today, one can still admire the stained-glass depiction of Nicholas carrying a bishops cross and miter. His wife and children made cameo appearances, and their Morristown home often served as the backdrop. The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. What does coarsened facial features mean? Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol of 1843, for example, dates to this period. Nast arrived back in New York in1861 and in September he married Sarah Edwards. She wrote her honors thesis on the life and work of early-20th century art theorist Roger Fry. He had a broad face and a little round belly; That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly! Given the assignment to draw on-the-scene sketches at the front, Nast began expressing his personal views on the war through his cartoons. Nast arrived in New York as a boy of six. He was known for his generosity and for discreetly helping the poor and unfortunate. In 1886 Nast stopped working forHarpers Weeklyand faced hard times in the next 6 years. Here's how to watch. Here is another jolly Christmas story from us:John Callcott Horsley: the designer of the first Christmas card. 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. It is credited with being the first image to establish all the visual elements we associate with Americas version of Santa Claus we recognize today. 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. It did so well that Coca-Cola continued to use Sundblom's Santa illustrations for decades, and his wholesome representation of Santa that is both realistic and symbolic can still be glimpsed in current ads. The story of Santa Claus stems from a real man who started out as a monk and became the patron saint of children. Why did European countries adopt the euro? Abraham Lincoln called him our best recruiting sergeant. During Reconstruction, Nasts cartoons portrayed Pres. } In Germany, where the Reformation led by the monk Martin Luther banned saint worship, Nicholas was replaced by ChristKindl (Christ Child). Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red hes known for today. Thomas Nast Thomas Nast is considered to bethe Father of the American Cartoon and the man who conceived and introduced our modern image of Santa Claus. Because the common people so loved St. Nicholas, he survived on the European continent as people continued to place nuts, apples, and sweets in shoes left beside beds, on windowsills, or before the hearth. Through the years, Sundbloms Christmas Santa ads for Coke incorporated subtle changes, but kept the robust, jolly figure essentially the same. In this drawing, Santa is shown sitting in his workshop, surrounded by toys and children. Children came to believe that he would reward them if they were good.". The depictions are so similar that some Americans think the Coca Cola Company actually invented Santa. Some of this rowdiness likely held over from the pagan Winter Solstice celebrations. 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. Nast would complete Nicholas-Santa Clauss transformation for Harpers Weekly magazine: Between 1862 and 1886, Nast created thirty-three Santa Claus drawings. Nast's Santa appeared as a kindly figure representing Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of Christ. This is a cool infographic on the Civil War from the Civil War Trust, Your email address will not be published. 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. The cover ofHarper's Weeklyshows black legislators stooping to name-calling as Columbia says, "You are aping the lowest whites. They had five children, Julia, Thomas, Jr., Edith, Mabel, and Cyril. From then until 1886, Nast contributed yearly illustrations of Santa to the magazineand in the process, did a great deal to cement many aspects of the Santa legend in the popular. Images of the Anglo-American Santa Claus or Father Christmas has come to dominate the modern Christmas. The original works were painted in oil, and then adapted for posters, billboards, and magazines. Filled to the brim with inviting warmth and vivid detail, its really no wonder that Thomas Nasts Christmas illustrations have been so influential and enduring. Why did Nast draw Santa? A German immigrant to the United States, Thomas Nast (1840-1902) is best known for his illustrations and cartoons that were published in Harper's Weekly's Journal of Civilization.Nast is most associated with his depictions of "Boss Tweed" and "Santa Claus" and for his development and popularization of the donkey and elephant as political party symbols. 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. 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. 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. Did Thomas Nast Draw Santa Claus In Harper's Christmas? The first Colonists, primarily Puritans and other Protestant reformers, did not bring Nicholas traditions to the New World. While the color of his outfit was nowhere mentioned, this would change during the second half of the 19, Nast would complete Nicholas-Santa Clauss transformation for, Nasts style later evolved, and Santa Claus became less austere. Nast continued, however, to contribute to Harpers Weekly and other NYC-based publications until the 1880s. The saint appears in the dreams of a sleeping sailors and expresses the wish to see the Dutch immigrants settle and build a city on the island of Manna-hata (Manhattan). Nasts illustrations appeared as black-and-white wood engravings, so they make no reference to the color of Santas outfit. Thomas Nast Who was the person who invented Santa Claus? As a political cartoonist for Harpers, the strongly abolitionist Nast created a stream of pro-Union, anti-Confederacy images throughout the American Civil War. n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; The episode led him to be regarded as the patron saint of schoolchildren. Probably not, but he is the one remembered in history. The appearance of today's Santa Claus was set. One of the most inspiring pictures was Christmas Eve, a double-circle picture that shows a soldiers wife praying for the safety of her husband and in the next circle appears soldier seated by a campfire, looking at photographs of his family.

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