Thanksgiving-Day, November 26, 1863, from "Harper's Weekly"

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Artist/Maker Thomas Nast (American, born Germany, 1840 - 1902)

Datepublished December 5 , 1863

MediumWood engraving on newsprint

DimensionsComposition: 20 1/8 × 13 3/8 in. (51.1 × 34 cm) Sheet: 22 in. × 15 15/16 in. (55.9 × 40.5 cm)

Credit LineGift of Professor Emeritus Jay Williams, Class of 1954

Object number2019.13.47

Not on view

DescriptionNast replicates the sentiments of Thanksgiving through his heptaptych. The composition features three registers: the first, containing three scenes, spans a fourth of the composition's height; the second, containing one scene, spans the next two-fourths of the composition's height; and the last, contain the remaining three scenes, fills the last fourth of the composition. In the first register, Nast depicts "The Army", "Washington" and "Lincoln", and "The Navy". The first and last scenes are framed by a pointed arch while the middle scene features a rounded arch. In "The Army", a group is gathered around a single speaker, standing at a podium adorned by an American flag. The men bear serious expressions, positioned in front of another flag waving in the wind. The next illustration features "Washington" and "Lincoln" both facing each other in hunched over positions. The first President is outdoors, flanked by a tree on his right and his fallen hat on the left. Lincoln rests on a chair that has been pulled out from his desk, a bookshelf elucidates the interior setting. Mirroring "The Army", "The Navy" also displays a group of solemn men gathered around a speaker, who stands atop a podium draped with the flag. A boat in the background reflects the caption. A single scene delineated by a concentric border dominates the second register. Mimicking the presidential scene directly above, Lady Liberty kneels in front of podium inscribed 'Union", on top of which rests a wreath. The flag is suspended at columns over the podium. In the background, a statue of Washington stands erect in mid stride, while Lady Liberty's sword and shield lies in the foreground. This scene is captioned "The Union Alter", centered beneath the illustration in block. An array of flags barely just out from behind the circular border. In the lower register, two circular scenes sandwich a rectangular depiction. The first concentric illustration, titled "Town", demonstrates a gathering within a hall, a man sits atop a podium, while the second concentric illustration, titled "Country", features a mass of people kneeling before a haystack. Bridging these two scenes is a depiction of a gathering of African-Americans. Captioned "Emancipation", centered within the scene, the image features people praying around a central figure who gestures upwards.

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