Louisburg Square 1930

This is Thomas W. Nason's 'Louisburg Square', a wood engraving. It's all about the beauty found in the details. Nason’s technique is just so precise. Look at how he's carved each line to define the textures of the buildings, the tree, and the sky. You can almost feel the grain of the wood and the sharp edge of his tool. The stark contrast between black and white creates a kind of dramatic, almost ghostly atmosphere, right? The way the tree branches reach out, framing the buildings, feels both protective and a little ominous. That single figure standing in front of the building: is it a ghost? A memory? Or just someone passing by? Think about what this image shares with the work of someone like Edward Hopper: a similar sense of loneliness, or alienation, hidden in the everyday. Art is a conversation, don’t you think?