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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] Thomas Nast Biography NAST, Thomas (1840–1902). An American illustrator, caricaturist, and painter. He was born at Landau, Bavaria, Sept. 27, 1840, but when six years old was brought by his parents to America. After studying a short time with Theodore Kaufman he was given employment, (though only 14 years old) as a draftsman on Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. He went to England in 1860 and then traveled to Italy to follow Garibaldi, making sketches of the war, which appeared in the New York Illustrated News, the Illustrated London News, and Le Monde Illustré. Returning to America, Nast entered the service of Harper's Weekly, for which, during many following years, his best work was done. In 1862 his drawings of scenes from the American Civil War, published in Harper's periodicals, attracted wide attention. Pointed and severe and displaying an unusual power of individual characterization, extending even to articles of clothing, Nast's cartoons did much to break up the corrupt Tweed ring and to bring to swift judgment public men who failed to keep faith. Many of the political symbols and types still in vogue, such as the Tammany tiger, the Republican elephant, and the Democratic donkey, were originated by Nast. He started the publication of Nast's Illustrated Almanac in 1872, and illustrated The Tribute Book, Nasby's Swingin' 'round the Cirkle, and among other works, Dickens's Pickwick Papers and Pictures from Italy. Not only a fine draftsman but a clever painter, remarkable for celerity and facility of execution, Nast is known for pictures that show a sturdy realism and possess a certain richness of color, but evidence lack of technical training. Among his chief oil paintings are: "The Departure of the Seventh Regiment" (1861); "The Civil War"; "Lincoln's Visit to Richmond"; "Head of Christ," Metropolitan Museum, New York. In 1894 he was called to the Pall Mall Magazine, London, and in 1902 he became American Consul General at Guayaquil, Ecuador, where he died December 7 of the same year. The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XVI (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 581. |