Uncle Sam's Thanksgiving dinner (1869)

Thomas Nast is the artist behind "Uncle Sam's Thanksgiving dinner", dated 1869. It is listed in the Illustration collection. The image is in landscape orientation. Illustration, a short history: The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are often described as a golden age of book and magazine illustration. Illustration serves a text or a story, a tradition that runs from decorated medieval manuscripts to printed book plates, magazines, and posters. About the period around 1869: In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form. Japanese prints reached Europe in large numbers and influenced many artists, while photography changed what painting needed to do.

On onlly.art "Uncle Sam's Thanksgiving dinner" is sold as a digital download (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI). The files are delivered by email after payment, so nothing is shipped: you print locally, choosing the paper, size, and frame yourself. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Before printing, compare the proportions of the file with your frame so that nothing important is cropped. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size.

American, 1840–1902

If you like the visual language of Thomas Nast, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.