Thomas NastAmerican, 1840–1902Amphitheatrum Johnsonianum
Can I see it?
Unknown
Where is “Amphitheatrum Johnsonianum” now? Collection: National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian), Washington, D.C. Unknown.
Washington, D.C., United States
The owner is known; whether it is on view today is not.
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
Details
- Accession number
- NPG.87.83
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian)
- Image: National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian) — National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution (CC0)
In the life of Thomas Nast
The whole life1862–1865
Drawings from the war theatres
He becomes known for drawing battlefields in border and southern states, which attract great attention; President Abraham Lincoln calls Nast “our best recruiting sergeant”.
1868
Campaign for Ulysses S. Grant
Plays an important role in the 1868 presidential campaign, ridiculing the loser Horatio Seymour; Ulysses S. Grant attributes his victory to “the sword of Sheridan and the pencil of Thomas Nast.”
26 June 1869
Switches to drawing in pencil on the wood block
Starting with a cartoon of June 26, 1869, he draws in pencil directly onto the wood block so that the engraver follows his linework, giving rise to the bold cross-hatching of his mature style; earlier he used brush and ink wash. The change was influenced by the English illustrator John Tenniel; after 1870 his compositions grow simpler, built around a strong central image.
