How Thomas Nast influenced Vincent Van Gogh

Thomas Nast Cartoon 1876

"Sorrow" by Vincent Van Gogh 1882

"Thomas Nast (1840-1902) perhaps the most important American political cartoonist of all time, is best known for his invention and development of popular symbols like the Republican Elephant, Democratic Donkey, a fat, jolly Santa Claus and a lean, goatee-wearing Uncle Sam. Nast’s most important forum was Harper’s Weekly, the leading illustrated American periodical of the last half of the nineteenth century. HarpWeek has identified the 2200-plus cartoons that Nast drew for Harper’s Weekly—the first in 1859, the last in 1896, and the rest mainly between 1862 and 1886." quote from John Adler, publisher HarpWeek.

Apparently, Van Gogh collected newspaper illustrations and hoped to become an illustrator himself. 21 cartoons by Thomas Nast were in Van Gogh's collection. Albert I. Boime, Professor of Art History at UCLA, wrote an interesting essay on the possible connection between Nast's illustrations and Van Gogh's art.

Read Boime's essay here:

Thomas Nast

presented by HarpWeek

The Art of Amy Crehore

John Tenniel's Surreal Alice

Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914) was a political cartoonist for "Punch", a book illustrator and a watercolorist. 'His forty-two illustrations (1865) for "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" had involved Tenniel in much acrimonious debate with Carroll, who insisted that the first edition be withdrawn because he was displeased with the reproductive quality of the prints. Reluctantly, Tenniel agreed to work on Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass" (1872), his last book illustration. He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1893, and continued his life-long association with "Punch" until 1901.' See and read more here:

A Tenniel Gallery

on Victorian Web. Be sure to click through "next" to see all of his "Alice in Wonderland" illustrations which are a predecessor to surrealism and some of the most striking examples of Alice illustrations ever done (in my humble opinion). Inspiring!

The Art of Amy Crehore

Amazing Jack Hall

Jack Hall made playable musical instruments out of used wooden matches. Check out the photos and read about this incredible one-of-a-kind folk artist who made a guitar, uke, fiddle, banjo, etc:

Matchstick Man

and here

The Art of Amy Crehore

Demons- like you have never seen before!

J.A.S. Collin de Plancy. Dictionnaire Infernal. Paris : E. Plon, 1863
J.A.S. Collin de Plancy. Dictionnaire Infernal. Paris : E. Plon, 1863

Lucifer, Roland Brévannes 1904

Jose Guadalupe Posada woodblock 1930

There is the most amazing collection of fantastic images in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections of Cornell University Library. You must check it out! This is just the tip of the iceberg. I will definitely bookmark this site. Click here to see more, like you have never seen before:
Fantastic in Art and Fiction
The Art of Amy Crehore

Edward Gorey and Surrealism

Edward Gorey, a prolific and wonderful artist/illustrator, died in the year 2000 and this is an excerpt from his obituary: "Gorey's fascination with surrealism came to the fore in The Object-Lesson (1958), whose story tumbles through artful non-sequiturs while the artwork shows increased mastery of balance and design. This led to Edmund Wilson's 1959 New Yorker appreciation of the early books - Gorey's first major critical notice. Later the Doubtful Guest was developed into a more disturbing, eyeless being with long rubbery arms, known as Figbash and partly echoing Max Ernst's protean figure Loplop. Other recurring Gorey icons are cats and the armless, featureless Black Doll; other acknowledged influences include Chinese, Japanese and Symbolist art." read more here: Guardian Obituary April 20,2000

It looks like there will be a documentary film about Edward Gorey coming out in the near future. Here is the myspace page where you can view some previews:

Edward Gorey Documentary by Mooncusser Films

Christopher Seufert, director

You can also follow the progress of the film here: Edward Gorey Film

I own a copy of "The Willowdale Handcar or the Return of the Black Doll" which is charmingly surreal and I also have a book of interviews with Gorey (shown above). He is very inspiring, plus he loved cats. I can't wait to see this documentary film. I also heard that the Jim Henson Company is developing a feature length live-action film of "The Doubtful Guest".

The Art of Amy Crehore

Madame Talbot's Victorian Lowbrow

Let me introduce you to the most amazing and wacky website of an artist that happens to live in Oregon. Here's a description from her myspace page:

"Madame Talbot's Victorian Lowbrow™features the hand-illustrated pen-and-ink artwork of Ashleigh Talbot,who lives in a haunted house on the very edge of the Oregon Coast.Her many talents include her hand-drawn offset printed dark art posters, exquisite one-of-a-kind framed curio exhibits, old school sideshow items, limited edition hand-sewn and hand-painted mourning dolls, tombstone art, t-shirts, her own original pen-and-ink illustrations for sale, her handmade limited edition books as well as a strange collection of macabre collectibles."

Be sure to check it out. It's beautiful work! You will not be bored. And, you can't get much more hokum than this:

Madame Talbot's Victorian Lowbrow

Yes, I am now on myspace, too, but I can never get the link to work, so you will just have to find my page by searching "people". I invite you to come and be my friend. There you can make comments.

The Art of Amy Crehore

The Crehore Piano

Square piano about 1800 by Benjamin Crehore, American, 1765–1831 Milton, Massachusetts Museum of Fine Arts Boston
" Dangerous Curves- The Art of the Guitar" book by Darcy Kuronen

Apparently, a "Crehore" made the first pianos and bass-viols in America. In 1992, Darcy Kuronen wrote an award-winning article called "The Musical Instruments of Benjamin Crehore" which was published in the Journal of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Crehore piano (above) is in the museum collection and Darcy is curator of musical instruments there.

I dug up this information on Benjamin Crehore:

"In 1798 Benjamin Crehore, who was born in Milton, MA, was assisting in getting up machinery and appliances of the stage for the play of "Forty Thieves," which was soon to be introduced in Boston. His inventive skill was so admired by the leader of the orchestra that he applied to him to repair his broken bass-viol. Mr. Crehore undertook the job, and is said to have improved the tone of the instrument. This resulted in his beginning the manufacture of bass-viols, the first ever made in this country, and said to rival those imported..... Mr. Crehore's reputation in the musical world of that day caused all sorts of disabled musical instruments to flow into his shop for repairs. Among these was a piano. After analyzing it and mastering its movements, he entered upon the manufacture of pianos. The first piano in this country was made by Benjamin Crehore, in Milton." Dorchester Atheneum

Darcy Kuronen of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston also put together an exhibit and wrote a book called "Dangerous Curves" which presents 400 years of guitar design and history, from ornamental models of the 17th century to modern electric guitars. It's a beautiful book which we picked up some years ago.

"Dangerous Curves" can be purchased here:
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston shop

The Art of Amy Crehore