Senator Dolph of Oregon (Joseph Norman Dolph)
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.
Artwork Details
- Title: Senator Dolph of Oregon (Joseph Norman Dolph)
- Artist: Thomas Nast (American (born Germany), Landau 1840–1902 Guayaquil)
- Sitter: Joseph Norton Dolph (American, Dolphsburg, New York 1835–1897 Oregon)
- Date: ca. 1894
- Medium: Graphite, pen, and black ink on scratchboard
- Dimensions: sheet: 13 1/2 x 10 1/4 in. (34.3 x 26 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1934
- Object Number: 33.173
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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