George Emerick Essig was born in Philadelphia to Christian and Matilda Essig and studied with the Philadelphia painters James Hamilton (1819–1878) and Edward Moran (1829–1901) at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. He began his career as an engraver but chose watercolor as his primary medium. He became a specialist in marine scenes and often painted scenes of the New Jersey coast in the Atlantic City area. Essig exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1876 to 1888. He moved to Atlantic City, around 1880, and practiced dentistry in Ventnor. He was active in the art life of Philadelphia as a painter, watercolorist, and etcher, but his etchings are very scarce. A 4'X 71/2' oil painting done in 1888 of Christ before Pilate, was donated by Doyle Hayt to the Barrington(IL) United Methodist Church in 1984. He said that it had hung in St. Mary's Cathedral in Chicago. The painting went through the fire at the church on Oct. 28, 1998. The fire started on the wall where the painting hung. The flames never touched it but it fell hitting a pew and landed in water. The ceiling crashed in on it. It has since been restored. George was married to Sarah Middleton. They had one son, Montgomery Ford Essig. The Philadelphia Maritime Museum had an Essig exhibition in 1994. His work is in private collections, the NJ State Museum in Trenton, and the Museum of PA at Harrisburg.
This bio was originally posted on findagrave by me after much long and extensive research on my part. He is my step gt. gt. grandfather.
This bio was originally posted on findagrave by me after much long and extensive research on my part. He is my step gt. gt. grandfather.
George Emerick Essig was born in Philadelphia to Christian and Matilda Essig and studied with the Philadelphia painters James Hamilton (1819–1878) and Edward Moran (1829–1901) at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. He began his career as an engraver but chose watercolor as his primary medium. He became a specialist in marine scenes and often painted scenes of the New Jersey coast in the Atlantic City area. Essig exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1876 to 1888. He moved to Atlantic City, around 1880, and practiced dentistry in Ventnor. He was active in the art life of Philadelphia as a painter, watercolorist, and etcher, but his etchings are very scarce. A 4'X 71/2' oil painting done in 1888 of Christ before Pilate, was donated by Doyle Hayt to the Barrington(IL) United Methodist Church in 1984. He said that it had hung in St. Mary's Cathedral in Chicago. The painting went through the fire at the church on Oct. 28, 1998. The fire started on the wall where the painting hung. The flames never touched it but it fell hitting a pew and landed in water. The ceiling crashed in on it. It has since been restored. George was married to Sarah Middleton. They had one son, Montgomery Ford Essig. The Philadelphia Maritime Museum had an Essig exhibition in 1994. His work is in private collections, the NJ State Museum in Trenton, and the Museum of PA at Harrisburg.
This bio was originally posted on findagrave by me after much long and extensive research on my part. He is my step gt. gt. grandfather.
This bio was originally posted on findagrave by me after much long and extensive research on my part. He is my step gt. gt. grandfather.
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