Salt Marshes

Harold Kerr Eby

The artist known primarily for his powerful images of war, Harold Kerr Eby, was equally adept at capturing the mood of a landscape or town on the plate. He was particularly drawn to images of quiet solitude, with or without the use of figures within the composition.

Between the World Wars Eby traveled to England and along the East Coast, sketching scenes of the outdoors as he went. In the etching “Salt Marshes” he presents a wide, wintery sky stretched over a body of brackish water, decked on the edges with tall grasses and a row boat anchored in the distance. A “v” of geese traverses the expanse, on their way to a warmer destination. This tranquil scene offers insight into the artist’s appreciation for the juxtaposition of art’s purpose: its ability to send a message of warning about human conflict, and its ability to find beauty in nature’s simplest, unfettered decoration.