A Visitor from Delphi 1938

George Joseph Mess created ‘A Visitor from Delphi’ using etching, a process of mark-making that seems almost like drawing. The tonal variations are extraordinary, from the moody darks of the sky to the silvery light on the water. Look closely, and you can see the physical impression of the etched lines in the paper. It is this sort of attention to the physical properties of the materials that makes printmaking so compelling. Notice the way that the etching describes the clouds and the way they sit low on the horizon, heavy with moisture. The surface of the paper catches the light, and the ink seems to float on top of it, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. There’s a lot of detail, but the overall feeling is one of quiet contemplation. This piece reminds me of the etchings of Whistler, or maybe even the later works of someone like Philip Guston; artists who found poetry in the everyday. The title implies some kind of mythological connection, but perhaps Mess is simply inviting us to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.