Jessie Lavington Evans facts for kids

Jessie Lavington Evans (1860–1943) was an Australian artist. She was known for her plein air impressionist paintings. This means she painted outdoors, capturing scenes as she saw them in natural light. You might also see her name written as Jessie Laver Evans.

About Jessie

Jessie Lavington Evans was born in Albury, New South Wales, on March 25, 1860. She passed away in Brighton, Victoria, on May 12, 1943. She was one of three sisters. Her father worked as a storekeeper near the Murray River for many years. While her sister Ethel Amelia Murray Evans loved music, Jessie spent her time painting scenes around Brighton.

Her Art Journey

Jessie Lavington Evans started her art training at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School in 1880. She studied alongside many artists who would become famous, like Tom Roberts, E Phillips Fox, and Frederick McCubbin. Later, Arthur Streeton also joined the school.

Jessie was a well-known artist from Albury. She is thought to have painted portraits of early settlers in her area, Thomas and Charlotte Mitchell.

For over 50 years, Jessie lived with her family in Brighton, close to the beach. Even though she was a talented artist, her family did not want her to sell her paintings. They felt it was not proper for a woman from a good family to sell her artwork.

Despite this, Jessie had an art studio in Melbourne between 1896 and 1899. She also showed her work at the Intercolonial Industrial Exhibition in Melbourne in 1880.

Her Training and Awards

Jessie continued her artistic training at the National Gallery of Victoria School from 1880 to 1891, and again from 1903 to 1904. She learned from teachers like Fred McCubbin and George Folingsby. She won several awards:

• In 1888, she won 2nd Prize for Still-Life painting.
• In 1890, she won 2nd Prize for Best Drawing from Antique.

From 1894 to 1898, she also studied at the Melbourne School of Art. There, she won prizes for her landscape paintings in 1894 and 1897.

Art critics often praised Jessie's work. In 1890, one critic said her interior painting showed "clever painting in every detail." They also called her portraits "good" and her flower paintings "crisply and vigorously painted."

Later Years and Legacy

Jessie L. Evans showed her art at student exhibitions and at the Victorian Artists Society until 1896. Her paintings always received positive comments from critics. However, in the late 1890s, she stopped exhibiting and selling her art. This was because her father believed it was not suitable for her to sell her work. For most of her adult life, her job was simply listed as "house duties."

Even though she couldn't sell her art, Jessie kept painting outdoor landscapes. After she passed away, another artist's mother, who was an art collector, bought many of Jessie's paintings. These works were later sold in 1992 at an exhibition that also featured art by Clara Southern. In 2021, Jessie's work was part of an exhibition at the Bayside Gallery. This show highlighted many Australian Impressionist artists who lived around Brighton.