In addition to his first cartoon showing Santa visiting soldiers, a famous image from 1881 is sometimes credited as one of the most influential portraits of the magical man. He was appointed consul general at Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 1902. Nast would complete Nicholas-Santa Clauss transformation for Harpers Weekly magazine: Between 1862 and 1886, Nast created thirty-three Santa Claus drawings. These pictures showed a fat, smiling old man with a red nose and white beard. Four different kinds of cryptocurrencies you should know. 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. Nast first drew Santa Claus for the 1862 Christmas season Harper's Weekly cover and cen. 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. For inspiration Sundblom turned to Clement Clark Moores 1822 poemA Visit From St. Nicholas, commonly known asTwas the Night Before Christmas. For younger children, you could draw the design for them and allow them to colour in the Santa drawing themselves. 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 . To accomplish the desired level of realism, Sundblom hired his affable friend and neighbor Lou Prentiss to model. The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). He is credited with one particular miracle: liberating the city of Nancy, capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, from its Burgundian assailants. 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. This was Nast's first image of Santa holding the bag of gifts. What is annual increase cap discount for flood insurance? Thomas Nast "invented" the image popularly recognized as Santa Claus. 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. In the days before quick and easy photography, periodicals of all stripes employed artists to sketch current events. In the 19th century, British and American culture transformed Christmas into the wholesome holiday celebrated today. 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. No. It was the 1930s, in the middle of the depression, and not a happy time for many people. His most famous achievement was the resurrection of three young boys killed and placed in a salting tub by a butcher. He is usually depicted wearing ecclesiastical vestments and holding a crozier (bishops staff). 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. Thomas Nast was a Radical Republicanwho favored abolition and opposed segregation. 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. Nast was the first person to draw Santa Claus as a fat, bearded elf. His use of Santa Claus was melancholy, sad for the faltering Union war effort in which Nast so fervently believed, and sad for the separation of soldiers and families. By the end of the 18th century, at the time of the 1776 Revolution, Santa Claus became the symbol of American resistance against the British occupying forces! His wife and children made cameo appearances, and their Morristown home often served as the backdrop. "This Is a White Man's Government.". "He was a kind bishop who lived in Asia Minor in AD 300. (WVUE) Cartoonist Thomas Nast, more than any other single individual, seems responsible for our modern day image of Santa Claus as a fat, bearded elf. Artist Haddon Sundblom was commissioned by the soda company to draw Santa, and it was him in 1931 who painted the figure in his. He is believed to have donated doweries for three impoverished women and has brought murdered children back to life. 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. (History & Facts). Article published in the December 2015 issue of France-Amrique. Known as The President Maker, Nasts persuasive, and sometimes scathing, cartoons proved crucial in influencing the nations vote and affecting the outcomes of six presidential elections between 1864 and 1884. Saint Nicholas, or Sinterklaas by his Dutch name, is their ships figurehead, protecting them from the storm. "Thomas Nast has been our best recruiting sergeant," he said. Here is another jolly Christmas story from us:John Callcott Horsley: the designer of the first Christmas card. 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. 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. 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. Before long, countless American artists were inspired by the character. 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. Despite his political activism, Thomas Nast is better known for something else changing Christmas forever by creating the modern-day image of Santa Claus. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red he's known for today. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. You can, however, find many versions that have been hand-colored by their owners. "His emblematic cartoons have never failed to arouse enthusiasm and patriotism, and have always seemed to come just when these . Over the course of 20+ years, Nast's Santa drawings appeared 33 times. Heres how it works. He is considered the "Father of the American Cartoon." login to share thoughts or upload a photo of your latest creation. Santa Claus distributes gifts to Union troops in Nasts first Santa Claus cartoon, (1863). Required fields are marked *. Copyright 2023 Golden Peak Media. 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. Over the next several years, Nast continued to draw Santa Claus in various cartoons and illustrations for Harpers Weekly. The stylistic representation of Santa that is so widely recognized in the U.S. today with a fluffy white beard, giant belt buckle and bright red cheeks was further molded by none other than the Coca-Cola Co. Recognizing the failure of Reconstruction, Nast asks, "IsThisa Republican Form of Government? 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! Nast made his living creating such images. 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. The clever Coke advertisers hired American artist Haddon Sundblom (1899-1976) to create a Santa Claus who would appear as an actual person, not a myth, magician, or an impersonator wearing a fake beard and a padded suit. 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. var googletag = googletag || {}; 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? Thomas Nast was most actively involved in political commentary during his long career. The first mention of a well-fed old man riding on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Every December 24th millions of people are visited by a short, fat guy in a red suit. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Thomas Nast Cartoonist Thomas Nast His illustrations supported the cause he believed was just, and the candidate he thought was best. He was also the man who invented Santa Claus. ", "One Less Vote." The drawing became so popular that is still widely reproduced today. Unsurprisingly, the drawings from the Civil War often fell solidly in the realm of propaganda; Nast staunchly supported abolition, civil rights and the Republicans. If so, he certainly got his wish. 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 view of the Democratic platform for the divisive presidential electionof 1868 places the Democratic candidate in partnership with the poor Irish of the North and loyal Confederates of the South (and its Lost Cause) to keep black men from gaining access to government. 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. Published in a bilingual format, France-Amrique Magazine is intended for anyone interested in French culture and Franco-American friendship. Emancipation of Negroes, The Past and the Future. Thomas Nast: self-caricature Nast arrived in New York as a boy of six. 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 le Pre Nol. The drawing became so popular that is still widely reproduced today. By 1885 Nasts disagreements with the editors of Harpers Weekly were becoming increasingly frequent; his last Harpers cartoon appeared in 1886. The final piece of the puzzle was with the help of Coca-Cola. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.