"Satan, Don't Get Thee Behind Me!"–Anything to Get Possession (from "Harper's Weekly," vol. 16, p. 641)

Thomas Nast|Horace Greeley|Harper's Weekly

August 17, 1872 · Wood engraving · Drawings and Prints

Widely considered to be one of the most important American satirists of the nineteenth century, Thomas Nast was the leading cartoonist at Harper’s Weekly from 1859 through 1886. An outspoken defender of principled politicians, Nast targeted leaders whom he deemed unethical through his biting illustrations. These works harnessed popular references that could be easily understood by a partially illiterate audience. Invoking the biblical saying, "Satan, Don’t Get Thee Behind Me," Nast illustrates Democratic candidate Horace Greeley on his knees begging the devil to assist him in defeating General Ulysses S. Grant in the 1872 presidential election. A staunch opponent of corruption in politics, Nast targeted Greeley because he was embroiled in a number of public scandals, including posting bail for the incarcerated former Confederate president Jefferson Davis.

Artist

Thomas Nast|Horace Greeley|Harper's Weekly

Date

August 17, 1872

Medium

Wood engraving

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1928