19th Century Thomas Nast’s “Emancipation” Cartoon in Harper’s Weekly

Antiques : Art

 

Submitted for your consideration is an item fraught with historical significance from America’s preeminent 19th century political cartoonist. This front-page image appeared in the January 24th, 1863 edition of Harper’s Weekly and it is a celebration of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, one of the most important documents in American history. Thomas Nast was born on September 27, 1840 in Germany. He relocated to New York City in 1846. He studied art in New York. He began work as an artist for Leslie’s illustrated in 1855, and for Harper’s Weekly in 1859. At this time, pictures were printed in newspapers through woodblock printing. A picture had to, in effect, be “carved” onto a block of wood, and then the wood block was used as a “stamp” to print the picture onto a page. This is an example of this art form. Nast contribute greatly to American culture. It was Nast who first used a donkey to represent the Democratic Party, and an elephant to represent the Republican Party. Our image of Santa Claus was a Nast creation, as was Uncle Sam and Columbia.

President Lincoln issued his proclamation at the start of the New Year in 1863 and Nast promulgated this event through his expert medium. Please note the collage of images in this significant work. Nast links emancipation to patriotism with the cheering female figure of Columbia, an early symbol of the United States. As he seeks to answer those who utilized racism to oppose abolition, Nast predicts that free (and northern) institutions will make self-reliant, respectable, and cheerful workers of the formerly brutalized slaves. At the bottom right-center, a plantation owner treats his workers with respect, tipping his hat to them, in contrast to whip-wielding master pursuing a runaway slave opposite.

This item measures 23” by 28” and it is in excellent condition with some slight wear related to its age. We can offer this wonderful expression of a seminal historical event for $850.00.

Item ID: RL-5467