To the Victors Belong the Spoils Artist: Thomas Nast (American, 1840–1902)

1889

Prints and Drawings

By appointment, Duffy Study Room

In this drawing, veteran satirist Thomas Nast revisits one of his favorite targets: granting political favors to win office. As the Democratic presidential candidate in 1872, Horace Greeley was obliged to sell his daily newspaper, the New York Tribune, and to step down as editor. Here Nast accuses Greeley of seeking the endorsement of the popular daily that was once his. The organ-grinder is Whitelaw Reid, the paper’s new owner and editor, who declared that the Tribune was not a “party organ,” despite its obvious support for Greeley over the incumbent, Republican Ulysses S. Grant.

Medium

Pen and ink

Dimensions

sheet: 19 5/8 × 15 5/8 in. (49.85 × 39.69 cm)

Credit Line

Gift of Cyril Nast and Mrs Mabel Nast Crawford

Accession Number

1954.62.3

Geography

Made in United States

Culture

American

Period

19th century

Classification

Drawings

Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Bibliography
  • Helen A. Cooper et al., Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: American Art from the Yale University Art Gallery, exh. cat. (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 2008), 3, 343–45, no. 222, ill
Object copyright
No Copyright - United States
Additional information

Signed

signed recto in ink at LL: 'TH. Nast/ 1889" at UR: "Minister to France", at RC: "THIS IS / NOT / AN ORGAN / WHITELAW REID / THE / NEW YORK TRIBUNE / TYPE-SETTING MACHINE / TO / THE / VICTORS / BELONG / THE / SPOILS", at LR: "SPOILS", annoated in pencil on recto LL: "447/2"

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