January 21–28, 1999
critic pick
"Nasty" Cartoons
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The term "nasty" is derived from his name; he invented the Democratic donkey, Uncle Sam and Santa Claus; and he single-handedly brought down "Boss" Tweed's corrupt New York empire. These are some of the myths that swirl around the larger-than-life persona of late 19th/early 20th-century illustrator Thomas Nast. All are inaccurate.
But not by much. Nast, arguably America's first great political cartoonist, is a towering figure when it comes to iconography. He did, in fact, invent the Republican elephant, and his "Tammany Tiger" was instrumental in turning the public against Tweed. Without Nast, the donkey would not have caught on as a Democratic symbol, and Santa might still be about the shape and size of Joe Pesci. Nast's versions of these existing icons were so masterly that they quickly became definitive.
But The Political Pen of Thomas Nast, a new exhibit at the Brandywine River Museum, shows that there is more to Nast than soapbox symbology. His sense of outrage at injustice helped establish editorial cartooning as a force to be reckoned with. His use of texture set a standard for the genre along the lines of satiric illustrators like Hogarth and Daumier. And his ability to distill issues and personalities into simple, visually striking panels influenced not just political cartoons, but the birth of a new medium—the comic strip.
The exhibit collects 60 works (along with some memorabilia) representing the best of Nast. While scholars may quibble about the particulars of this or that mascot, Nast's stature is indisputable, and comes across as vividly as ever.
The Political Pen of Thomas Nast, Sat., Jan. 23 through Sun., March 14, Brandywine River Museum, U.S. Route 1, Chadds Ford, PA, 610-388-2700, www.brandywinemuseum.org.
