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Saving the Flag
by Thomas Nast
After his political cartoonist career ended, Thomas Nast painted a number of commissioned works including "Saving the Flag," a patriotic-themed painting inspired from the Civil War. Based upon a drawing he'd done in 1863, this painting was probably done in the 1890s when Nast did most of his works in oil. By 1926, the painting was located in the reception lobby of the War Department and was later transferred to the Quartermaster Corps.
Thomas Nast, a German-born artist, worked for Harpers Weekly as an artist/correspondent during the Civil war, providing drawings to illustrate scenes from the front. After the War, he stayed with Harpers where he became the "father of political cartooning." He achieved rapid fame for his scathing attacks on the political corruption in New York City and his caricatures of "Boss Tweed." Tweed's later conviction was attributed largely to the influence of Nast's cartoons.
Nast is credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus. While working for Harpers from 1863-1865, his drawings of Santa Claus proved to be so popular that they remain the image of "the man" to this day. |