Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Catalog Data

Artist:
John White Alexander, 7 Oct 1856 - 31 May 1915  Search this
Sitter:
Thomas Nast, 27 Sep 1840 - 7 Dec 1902  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
101.5cm x 77cm (39 15/16" x 30 5/16"), Accurate
Type:
Painting
Date:
1887
Exhibition Label:
Born Landau, Germany
Illustrator Thomas Nast offered pointed political and social commentary as the North’s foremost cartoonist during the Civil War and Reconstruction. As a staff artist for Harper’s Weekly, one of the most widely circulated magazines in the United States, from 1862 until 1886, Nast shaped national conversations about many topics. His wartime imagery galvanized support for the Union cause while his Reconstruction-era illustrations promoted increased federal intervention in the South to guarantee the rights of formerly enslaved people. A longtime supporter of the Republican Party, Nast used his considerable platform to criticize President Andrew Johnson’s tolerance toward former Confederates and to support Ulysses S. Grant’s presidential candidacy in 1868.
John White Alexander painted this portrait the year after Nast left Harper’s Weekly. Having worked together at the magazine during the 1870s, the two artists were well acquainted. Alexander portrays his subject staring knowingly at the viewer, evoking Nast’s reputation as a keen observer.
Nacido en Landau, Alemania
Con sus agudos comentarios políticos y sociales, el ilustrador Thomas Nast fue el principal caricaturista del norte durante la Guerra Civil y la Reconstrucción. Entre 1862 y 1886, como artista de plantilla de Harper’s Weekly, una de las revistas de mayor circulación en EE.UU., Nast influenció el diálogo nacional sobre diversidad de temas. Sus imágenes catalizaron el apoyo para la causa de la Unión y, durante la Reconstrucción, promovieron una mayor intervención federal en el sur para garantizar los derechos de las personas antes esclavizadas. Adepto del Partido Republicano, Nast utilizó su plataforma para criticar la tolerancia del presidente Andrew Johnson hacia los antiguos confederados e impulsar la candidatura presidencial de Ulysses S. Grant en 1868.
John White Alexander pintó este retrato al año siguiente de que Nast abandonara Harper’s Weekly. Habiendo trabajado juntos en la revista en la década de 1870, ambos se conocían bien. El modelo dirige una mirada perceptiva al público, con lo cual el pintor evoca su reputación de observador sagaz.
Provenance:
(M. Knoedler & Co., New York); purchased 1966 NPG
Topic:
Equipment\Walking stick\Cane  Search this
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard  Search this
Thomas Nast: Male  Search this
Thomas Nast: Visual Arts\Artist\Cartoonist  Search this
Thomas Nast: Visual Arts\Artist\Illustrator  Search this
Thomas Nast: Politics and Government\Diplomat\Consul\US Consul  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.66.40
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition:
Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
On View:
NPG, East Gallery 120
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm42f54a11b-2d62-4b5a-bd1e-1a1dcd308853
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.66.40