The Master of the Atlantic Tides Born in the vibrant, industrious atmosphere of Philadelphia on September 2, 1838, George Emerick Essig emerged as a painter whose soul was inextricably linked to the rhythmic pulse of the American coastline. The son of Christian and Mathilde Essig, his early years were steeped in the cultural richness of a city that served as a gateway to much of the nation's maritime commerce. This proximity to the bu…