The former Bishop Nicholas, deprived of his miter and cross, was completely unrecognizable as a jolly grandfather with a long white beard. Nast's interest in politics and Santa sometimes became intertwined. What time do the fireworks start at drayton manor? Thomas Nast Over the course of 20+ years, Nast's Santa drawings appeared 33 times. ' In Germany, where the Reformation led by the monk Martin Luther banned saint worship, Nicholas was replaced by ChristKindl (Christ Child). 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. Where did he come from, why does he do it, and how does he accomplish this seemingly impossible task? The jovial version of St. Nick popular in the U.S. wasn . 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. The Dutch are credited with transporting the legend of Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas) to New Amsterdam (now New York City), along with the custom of giving gifts and sweets to children on his feast day, December 6. N.P., as you may have guessed, stands for the North Pole. To accomplish the desired level of realism, Sundblom hired his affable friend and neighbor Lou Prentiss to model. Thomas Nast "invented" the image popularly recognized as Santa Claus. This depiction got progressively bigger o. Unsurprisingly, the drawings from the Civil War often fell solidly in the realm of propaganda; Nast staunchly supported abolition, civil rights and the Republicans. Thomas Nast was born onSeptember 27, 1840, in Landau, Germany. She holds a bachelors degree in Communication from Hofstra University where she graduated with honors. Four different kinds of cryptocurrencies you should know. His contributions to other journals became infrequent and, having lost nearly all his savings in the failure of the brokerage house of Grant & Ward in 1884, he became destitute. Its better known today by its opening lines Twas the Night Before Christmas. While the idea of Santa Claus has centuries-old precedents from the Christian and pagan worlds alike, his appearance as we know it today is largely the creation of one man: German-American artist Thomas Nast. It shows a Santa in an egg-shaped profile, turning towards the viewer and carrying an armful of toys. He studied art at the National Academy of Design and at the age of 15 became a draftsman for Frank Leslies Illustrated Newspaper and at 18 for Harpers Weekly. Today, one can still admire the stained-glass depiction of Nicholas carrying a bishops cross and miter. Historians set his birth at between 250 and 270 in Lycia, present-day southwestern Turkey, and estimate that he became the Bishop of Myra around 315. The significant role played by bitcoin for businesses! Did St Nicholas wear green? Conozca a la influyente autora y figura clave del Renacimiento de Harlem. Images of the Anglo-American Santa Claus or Father Christmas has come to dominate the modern Christmas. 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 . Abolitionist cartoonist Thomas Nast had a big role in manufacturing the US version of the Christmas patriarch. The Tammany Society emerged as the center for Democratic-Republican Party politics in the city in the early 19th century. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Every year, a significant portion of adults in the U.S., and a significant number of them around the world, get together and, spurred by some combination of love and whimsy and magical thinking,. Thomas Nast attended school in New York City. The current depiction of Santa Claus is based on images drawn by cartoonist Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly beginning in 1863. 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. Du Bois in Paris. When Dutch settlers arrived in the American colonies, they brought their love of Sinterklaas, as they call him, with them. The character of Santa Claus is believed to descend from Bishop Nicholas of Myra, who lived in the 4th century. His new fame spread all over the New World. Nast did some painting in oil and book illustrations, but his fame rests on his caricatures and political cartoons. For this reason, Santa is still sometimes referred to as Saint Nick. Above all, Coca-Colas red and white colors determined those of Santa Claus contemporary uniform. 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. His clearest early ancestor was St. Nicholas, a 4th-century CE bishop from Myra, in modern-day Turkey. 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. // cutting the mustard 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. Nasts images provide the first known references of Santa Claus having a toy workshop and living at the North Pole. Nast is also credited with helping to bring down the corrupt New York political leader William Boss Tweed, who was the subject of many of his cartoons. 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. Even as Saint Nicholas was chased away from the Lutheran Protestant regions, he was welcomed in the Netherlands, despite its Calvinist majority. Nast, who was reportedly a rather rotund figure even in childhood, seems to have partially based Santa Clauss physique and appearance on his own. 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. Nast first drew him for the January 3, 1863, edition of Harper's Weekly. Coca-Cola may have claimed ownership of the symbol and widely circulated the image of a bearded and smiling Santa Claus, yet the brand didnt actually invent anything. Nast would complete Nicholas-Santa Clauss transformation for Harpers Weekly magazine: Between 1862 and 1886, Nast created thirty-three Santa Claus drawings. 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. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Saint Nicholas was borrowed from this Dutch tradition introduced in America by the earliest Dutch immigrants for political reasons: as a kind of antidote to Christmas, which was celebrated by the English enemy and by the British colonial monarchy. Thomas Nast drew this image of Jolly Old Santa Claus in 1881. 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. January 24, 1863 The plump Santa Claus whom children all over the world will be keeping an eye out for on Christmas Eve is actually a pretty modern creation. 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. Santa appears in the left center image on the leaf. One of the most famous of Nasts Santa Claus illustrations is a drawing titled Merry Old Santa Claus that appeared in Harpers Weekly in 1881. She holds a B.A. What is the connection between Nast and Santa Claus? It was he who created the symbol of the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey, and who popularized the figure of Uncle Sam. Copyright 2023 Golden Peak Media. He was also the man who invented Santa Claus. Both Frank Leslies and Harpers Weekly, where Nast later made his name, were illustrated weeklies. 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. The drawing became so popular that is still widely reproduced today. Nast didn't invent fat Santa out of whole cloth, though, and may have modeled his depiction after the titular character of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" ("Twas the Night Before Christmas . He particularly targeted corrupt New York City politician William Boss Tweed, head of the powerful Tammany Hall political group. 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! 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. Another Santa Claus forefather is the English figure, Father Christmas, also known as Sir Christmas. A few years later, in December 1823, Clement Clark Moore, a professor at New Yorks Episcopalian seminary, published a poem intended for his own children called Twas the Night Before Christmas in The Sentinel, a New York state newspaper. Her primary interests are American art, particularly 19th-century painting, and medieval European art and architecture. As for France, it adopted the Santa Claus theme by giving him nice big cheeks, a red costume and a sack filled with toys, and officially renaming him, Susan Sontag: How Paris Shaped an American Luminary, Mon Chou Chou, a Taste of France in San Antonio, Im Driven by a Hybrid Culture, from Baldwin to Duras, Giuseppe De Nittis: The Forgotten Impressionist, For American Filmmakers, Godard Is Not Dead, Deconstructing Power: W.E.B. Recognizing the failure of Reconstruction, Nast asks, "IsThisa Republican Form of Government? Santa Claus distributes gifts to Union troops in Nasts first Santa Claus cartoon, (1863). Why did Nast draw Santa? William Tweed was a New York politician who used his influence to turn much of the city government into his own personal system. Irvings book recounts the odyssey of a Dutch crew leaving Amsterdam in the 17th century for America. How German Refugee Thomas Nast Invented How Santa Claus Looks Back During the Civil War. (History & Facts). in Art History from Drew University, where she received the Stanley Prescott Hooper Memorial Prize in Art History. If so, he certainly got his wish. It was the 1930s, in the middle of the depression, and not a happy time for many people. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Nast, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Thomas Nast, Thomas Nast - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Thomas Nast: "This Is a White Man's Government", Thomas Nast: Boss Tweed and the Tweed ring. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red hes known for today. His wife and children made cameo appearances, and their Morristown home often served as the backdrop. The city of Port now called Saint-Nicolas-de-Port and renowned for its fairs and markets extended Saint Nicholass worship well beyond the Duchy, to Germany, Belgium, Poland and the Netherlands, where he became known as Sinterklaas. The original works were painted in oil, and then adapted for posters, billboards, and magazines. Did he invent the costumes red color? She wrote her honors thesis on the life and work of early-20th century art theorist Roger Fry. The patron saint of children, among other things, St. Nicholas is also associated with generosity. A strong supporter of the Republican party, African-American rights, and abolitionism, Nast vigorously attacked all that he found to be corrupt and immoral in 19th-century American politics. In 1885, Santa Claus left the streets of New York for the North Pole, a region still wrapped in mystery. Her paintings remain popular in Sweden today, where they are reprinted every year. Unsurprisingly, the drawings from the Civil War often fell solidly in the realm of propaganda; Nast staunchly supported abolition, civil rights and the Republicans. A husband and wife separated by the war (Nast, 1862). The first mention of a well-fed old man riding on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. 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. We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. Unfortunately he contracted yellow fever in Ecuador and diedon December 7, 1902. A December 1930 ad by artist Fred Mizen showed a department store Santa in a crowd drinking a bottle of Coke. Thomas Nast was a Radical Republicanwho favored abolition and opposed segregation. The Atlanta-based company asked Haddon Sundblom, an illustrator of Swedish descent, to depict a paunchy, smiling Santa Claus, dressed in red, with ruddy cheeks and an elfish look. Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol of 1843, for example, dates to this period. He is usually depicted wearing ecclesiastical vestments and holding a crozier (bishops staff). Centered around a picture of a happy black family at a hearth, the image depicts slaves' miserable past in scenes of auctions and physical abuse -- and a view of a future as equals to their former masters. When Santa shows the soldiers a jack-in-the-box that seems to be hanging by a noose, the puppet has the face of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The following year, the writer George Webster revived Nasts idea, noting that Santa Claus toy factory and home were buried in the snows of the North Pole the rest of the year. Historians describe the debate over extending civil rights to former slaves that divided the country after the Civil War. According to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (via the Smithsonian), Nast "did as much as any one man to preserve the Union and bring the war to an end." Santa Claus was just part of that. 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. Christmas Bonanza: Everything You Need To Know About Christmas, The Surprising Truth: Christians Once Banned Christmas, Can Tech Help Santa Deliver the Goods? And as Reconstruction-era corruption and violence spun out of control, he drew cartoons that criticized black legislators as strongly as earlier cartoons had championed black suffrage and lamented white supremacist violence. This is because pre-19th century Christmas celebrations were less about presents and family than they were about drinking, feasting, and carousing. It is believed that the story about Santa Claus living at the North Pole may also have been a Nast creation. Squid and human brains develop the same way despite diverging 500 million years ago, Ancient bird with T. rex-like skull discovered in China, Massive megalodon tooth discovered in Chesapeake Bay by 9-year-old fossil hunter, Black hole 'spaghettified' a star into a doughnut shape, and astronomers captured the gory encounter, Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II's 'handsome' face revealed in striking reconstruction, Mars crater is 'chock-full' of opal gemstones, hinting at widespread water and possible microbial life, Lasers reveal massive, 650-square-mile Maya site hidden beneath Guatemalan rainforest, The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe, Subscribe today and get your first 3 issues for just 3" today, Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. Abraham Lincoln commented on Nast's work saying, "Thomas Nast was our best recruiting officer." His powerful cartoons stirred people into . Yet his Dutch name was distorted and Americanized into Santa Claus. 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. Required fields are marked *. 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. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Thomas Nast (/nst/; German: [nast]; September 27, 1840 December 7, 1902) was a German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist often considered to be the Father of the American Cartoon. More than a century had passed when the writer Washington Irving published A History of New York in 1809, comically told by the make-believe historian Dietrich Knickerbocker (Washington Irvings pen name). The drawing became so popular that is still widely reproduced today. This image pairs holiday sentiment with political messaging. ", "One Less Vote." The first Colonists, primarily Puritans and other Protestant reformers, did not bring Nicholas traditions to the New World. They had five children, Julia, Thomas, Jr., Edith, Mabel, and Cyril. In 1860 Nast traveled to Italy as a war correspondent for The Illustrated London News and New York Illustrated News. Arriving in New York City at the age of six, Nast first attended German language schools. In this drawing, Santa is shown sitting in his workshop, surrounded by toys and children. The first recorded incidence of Christmas being celebrated actually dates all the way back to the Roman Empire in 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine so technically the Romans invented it, although theres no specific person who is credited with having done so. Publishing regularly in Harper's. 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