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Thomas Nast (September 27, 1840 – December 7, 1902) was a German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist considered to be the "Father of the American Cartoon". He was the scourge of Democratic Representative "Boss" Tweed and the Tammany Hall Democratic party political machine. Among his notable works were the creation of the modern version of Santa Claus and the political symbol of the elephant for the Republican Party. Contrary to popular belief, Nast did not create Uncle Sam (the male personification of the American people), Columbia (the female personification of American values), or the Democratic donkey,〔Dewey 2007, pp.14-18〕 though he did popularize these symbols through his artwork. Nast was associated with the magazine ''Harper's Weekly'' from 1859 to 1860 and from 1862 until 1886. Albert Boime argues that: : As a political cartoonist, Thomas Nast wielded more influence than any other artist of the 19th century. He not only enthralled a vast audience with boldness and wit, but swayed it time and again to his personal position on the strength of his visual imagination. Both Lincoln and Grant acknowledged his effectiveness in their behalf, and as a crusading civil reformer he helped destroy the corrupt Tweed Ring that swindled New York City of millions of dollars. Indeed, his impact on American public life was formidable enough to profoundly affect the outcome of every presidential election during the period 1864 to 1884.〔Albert Boime, "Thomas Nast and French Art," ''American Art Journal'' (1972) 4#1 pp. 43-65〕 ==Early life and education== Nast was born in the barracks of Landau, Germany (now in Rhineland-Palatinate), the last child of Appolonia and Joseph Thomas Nast. He had a sister named Andie; two other siblings died before he was born. His father—a trombonist in the Bavarian 9th regiment band—held political convictions that put him at odds with the Bavarian government. In 1846, Joseph Nast left Landau, enlisting first on a French man-of-war and subsequently on an American ship.〔Paine 1974, p. 7.〕 He sent his wife and children to New York City, and at the end of his enlistment in 1850 he joined them there.〔Paine 1974, p. 12-13.〕 Nast attended school in New York City from the age of six to fourteen. He did poorly at his lessons, but his passion for drawing was apparent from an early age. In 1854 he was enrolled for about a year of study with Alfred Fredericks and Theodore Kaufmann, and then at the school of the National Academy of Design.〔Bryant, Edward. "Nast, Thomas." In ''Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online''. Retrieved October 7, 2012.〕〔Halloran 2012, p. 3.〕 In 1856, he started working as a draftsman for ''Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper''.〔Paine 1974, pp. v, 20.〕 His drawings appeared for the first time in ''Harper's Weekly'' on March 19, 1859,〔Paine 1974, p. 29.〕 when he illustrated a report exposing police corruption.〔Halloran 2012, p. 26.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thomas Nast」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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