Christmas Eve, 1862 (from "Harper's Weekly," vol. 7, pp. 8-9)
January 3, 1863
Medium
Wood engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 14 7/16 × 21 7/16 in. (36.7 × 54.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1929
Accession Number
29.88.4(8)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Christmas Eve, 1862**, a poignant wood engraving by Thomas Nast in *Harper's Weekly* on 3, 1863, captures the emotional weight of the American Civil War the holiday season. Created as a double-page spread (. 7, pp. 8-9), this print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art depicts scenes blending soldiers, families—men, women, boys, and girls the bittersweet spirit of Christmas. Nast, a pioneering political cartoonist, used his platform in the era's leading illustrated newspaper to humanize the war's toll, evoking patriotism and longing amid brutal campaigns like Antietam and Fredericksburg in lat...
About the Artist
Thomas Nast|Harper's Weekly · 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...