A Stocking Full (published in "Harper's Weekly," January 4, 1879)
originally published 1879
Medium
Relief print and electrotype
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 7/8 × 8 3/8 in. (22.5 × 21.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Thomas Nast Jr., Mabel Nast Crawford and Cyril Nast, 1933
Accession Number
33.35.85
Art Historical Context
Thomas Nast's "A Stocking Full," originally published in the January 4, 1879, issue of Harper's Weekly, captures the festive spirit of the holiday season through the lens of one of America's most influential 19th-century illustrators. Nast, widely celebrated for shaping the modern image of Santa Claus, used this relief print to reach a broad audience via the popular illustrated magazine. The compact composition, measuring just under nine inches square, was designed for easy reproduction and distribution across the nation. As a relief print and electrotype, the work exemplifies the technical i...
About the Artist
Thomas Nast · 1840–1902
Thomas Nast (1840–1902) was the most powerful political cartoonist in American history, an artist whose images shaped public opinion, toppled corrupt politicians, and gave enduring visual form to some of the most cherished symbols of American popular culture. Born in Landau, Germany, he emigrated with his family to New York as a child and received his artistic training at the National Academy of D...