Lot 76

George Jo Mess, Indiana, Ilinois (1898-1962), Pose, etching, 8 1/4"H x 5 1/2"W (Sight), 16 1/2"H x 13 1/2"W (Frame)

Previous image preload Next image preload

George Jo Mess, Indiana, Ilinois (1898-1962), Pose, etching, 8 1/4"H x 5 1/2"W (Sight), 16 1/2"H x 13 1/2"W (Frame)

Estimate: $600 - $900

Starting Bid: $300

(0 Bids)

June 24, 2026 3:00 PM EDT
Live Auction
Indianapolis, IN, US

Description:

George Jo Mess
Indiana, Ilinois, (1898-1962)
Pose
etching
Pencil signed lower right with blind stamp, edition 5/50.

George Joseph Mess, the son of a photoengraver, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Joseph and Anna Mess, on June 30, 1898. The family moved to Indianapolis in 1899. When George was seven years old he contracted pneumonia and typhoid fever. He passed the time with painting and drawing during his long convalescence. He began to receive scholarships when he was thirteen years old to study art at the John Herron Art Institute. Here he studied with Marie Todd and Otto Stark and William Forsyth. Stark later chose Mess to assist on the construction of murals for the City Hospital's children's ward, a project directed by Forsyth.

After graduation from high school in 1916, George found a job working at the Western Electric Company and attended Herron part-time continuing his studies with Forsyth. He enrolled at Butler University in the fall of 1918 and after a year there he and his brother, Gordan began the Circle Art Company where they developed a reputation in commercial art. After three years here he had earned enough money to attend Columbia University where he studied composition with Arthur Dow. He returned to Indianapolis in 1921 and resumed his commercial art business.

In 1925 he married Evelynne Bernloehr. Together they and Gordon opened the Circle Art Academy where they taught studio classes from 1927 until 1932. George and Evelynne enrolled at the Fontainebleau School of Fine Arts in northern France in June, 1929. Here they studied with landscape artist Andre Strauss and Gaston Balande and with figure painter, Jean Despujols. George also studied fresco painting with M. La Montague Saint Subert.

Mess was a member of the Indiana Artists' Club and exhibited in the Hoosier Salon in 1926 and at the Carnegie Institute in 1930. In 1931 he received an invitation to study at the Tiffany Foundation in Oyster Bay, NY.

In 1937 George and Evelynne moved to Chicago where George worked as an artist on the staff of Esquire and Coronet until returning to Indianapolis in 1940. Mess occasionally taught at the Indianapolis Art League and at Herron. In 1949 he received a position to teach art part time at Indiana University on the Indianapolis Campus. He exhibited widely throughout his career at such places as the Chicago Art Institute, the Met, the Dayton Art Museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as well as international exhibits in Stockholm, Paris and Rome. George Mess died June 24, 1962.

  • Dimensions: 8 1/4"H x 5 1/2"W (Sight), 16 1/2"H x 13 1/2"W (Frame)
  • Medium: etching

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipping and removal are the sole responsibility of the buyer. Shipping is available by request through a third party shipping service, Shipping Saint. Please contact our office if you would like to arrange your own shipping. Buyers will not automatically receive a shipping invoice. You will be sent a separate invoice for shipping once your initial invoice is paid and your items are packed and ready to ship. Shipping is invoiced via Shipping Saint and cannot be combined with your auction invoice.
Shipping Saint can be contacted at [email protected] or via phone, 317-644-6088.
PICKUP: Pickup is by appointment only. Items are subject to storage fees if they are not removed from premises within 10 business days. If items require shipping, arrangements and removal must be completed within 15 business days.

Ripley Auctions

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $49 $5
$50 $99 $10
$100 $199 $20
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $4,999 $200
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 + $2,500