Le Jeu Ne Vaut Pas La Chandelle (The Game is Not Worth a Candle)

Art Historical Context

This 1881–83 wood engraving by Thomas Nast, titled *Le Jeu Ne Vaut Pas La Chandelle* (“The Game Is Not Worth the Candle”), offers a sharp commentary on the excesses of America’s Gilded Age. Nast, the pioneering political cartoonist whose work appeared weekly in *Harper’s*, frequently targeted powerful financiers and corrupt politicians. Here the French proverb suggests that the risks and moral costs of unchecked speculation outweigh any potential gain—an idea likely aimed at railroad magnate Jay Gould, whose name appears alongside Nast’s in the museum record. Printed from hand-carved wood blocks, the medium allowed Nast’s intricate line work and symbolic details to reach a mass audience before photographic reproduction became common. The modest sheet size (roughly 9 by 11 inches) made the print easy to collect or display in homes, extending its influence beyond the pages of the illustrated press. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum as a gift from Nast’s children, the engraving preserves a vivid example of how 19th-century artists used satire and accessible printmaking to shape public debate about wealth, power, and accountability.

About the Artist

Thomas Nast|Jay Gould · 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...