Senator Dolph of Oregon (Joseph Norman Dolph)
Thomas Nast|Joseph Norton Dolph
ca. 1894 · Graphite, pen, and black ink on scratchboard · Drawings and Prints
Nast’s striking caricature of the United States senator from Oregon probably dates to 1894, the year that Dolph lost his bid for a third term. The image resembles a photograph published in a Congressional directory of 1893, but Nash exaggerated the nose and brows and suggested an outsized personality by giving the long beard and hair a wild energy. As an outspoken defender of principled politicians, the artist was likely sympathetic to his subject, who was a hardworking, well-respected litigator. Nast made this drawing at a time when reliable outlets for his work had grown scarce. After severing his longtime connection to Harper’s Weekly in 1886, he experienced financial difficulties. Scratchboard was used for this drawing, a support that consists of paper covered with a thin layer of clay, a medium that allows the creation of bright highlights.
- Artist
- Thomas Nast|Joseph Norton Dolph
- Date
- ca. 1894
- Medium
- Graphite, pen, and black ink on scratchboard
- Department
- Drawings and Prints
- Credit line
- Fletcher Fund, 1934
