George Aid, "Woman At Gate," Framed Etching

George Aid (American, 1887-1938), Tryon, NC Artist Colony, Woman At Gate, etching on paper, "Casa Gismonda, San Remo," signed lower left, matted and framed under glass.

Condition: Excellent

Material: Paper, ink

Period: 20th century

Dimensions: Framed size 19.25"H x 17.5"W, Sight size 9"H x 6.5"W

Inventory# V30016

George Aid attended art school in Saint Louis from 1893–97, working as a newspaper illustrator and living at home in order to support his schooling. He excelled in his classes and in 1899 he was granted a scholarship to study in the art capital of the world, Paris, France.

Aid lived and worked in Paris for the next fifteen years. While in France, Aid met a young music student from Anderson, South Carolina, named Mary Orr-- George and Mary married in 1910, and the couple moved into a renovated olive mill on the Italian Riviera. They enjoyed exploring the surrounding countryside and small villages where Aid found inspiration for his artwork, primarily etchings and oil paintings. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 forced the Aids to abandon their home and return to America. 

The couple settled in Mary's hometown of Anderson, South Carolina, and in 1920, after their child was born, the Aids learned of a vineyard for sale in Tryon, North Carolina. Nostalgic for their home in Italy, the couple purchased the estate. Additionally, since the 1880s the small mountain community of Tryon had become a destination for artists and intellectuals from all across America. After tending to his new farm, Aid took over a small art studio in the mountains. The cottage-like studio became a meeting place for Tryon Artist Colony artists—such as Lawrence Mazzanovich and Homer Ellertson—and community leaders alike.