Lot 31: Elizabeth O'Neill Verner, Charleston, South Carolina (1883-1979)

Elizabeth O'Neill Verner, Charleston, South Carolina (1883-1979) Pastel on silk mounted on panel, signed lower right "Elizabeth O'Neill Verner" 8 3/4" wide x 9" tall sight, framed in wood oak frame. Original back board to framing titled by artist "Matte".

Verner was among the most famous and celebrated female artists of the 20th Century, especially in the South and her native Charleston. Previously known for her etchings and illustrations, in the 1950's, amidst public protests over the rights of rural African American womens' right to travel into Charleston's city center to sell flowers, Verner championed their cause and memorialized these women in a series of pastel portraits.

This picture comes in its original frame, with original backing paper on which Verner titled the piece, presumable after the name of its subject, "Matte". At least one other portrait of this same flower seller is known, and was featured and appraised by Alasdair Nichol on Antiques Roadshow (aired 05/17/2015); that example of larger format, but not as vibrantly colored.

Price Realized: $3,750

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