Lower King Street c. 1925 - 1935

Elizabeth O'Neill Verner made this etching, Lower King Street, with an approach to mark-making that feels both precise and intuitive. I like the way the texture of the street and buildings is created with these tiny, closely-spaced lines, giving the whole scene a kind of shimmering quality. It's like she's not just showing us a place, but also the feeling of being there, the humidity, the light filtering through the trees. Look at how the dark, dense lines create the shadows on the right-hand side, almost obscuring the details, while the left side is lighter, more open. And that figure walking in the distance – a few simple lines, but they convey so much about the scale of the place. Verner reminds me of Whistler, in the way she uses etching to capture a sense of atmosphere and place. But her work also has its own distinct voice, a kind of quiet, Southern charm. For me, this piece isn't just a picture of a street. It's an invitation to wander, to get lost, and to see the world in a new way.