Double Portrait

Date1946 and 1966-1970

Artist/Maker Minnie Eva Jones Evans (1892-1987)

OriginAmerica, North Carolina, Wilmington

MediumGraphite, ink, crayon, gouache, oil paint, and collage on paper.

DimensionsSheet: 11 15/16" x 17 15/16" (30.3 cm. x 45.6 cm.)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1994.200.1

Label TextMinne Evans said, "I have no imagination. I never plan a drawing; they just happen." Her paintings come from her dreams and show her strong connection to God and the beauty of nature. Born in 1892, she lived her whole life in Wilmington, North Carolina. The bright colors and flower designs in her art were inspired by the flowers at Airlie Gardens, where she worked as a gatekeeper for many years.

Evans filled her unique paintings with dreamlike shapes, such as angels and plants using the vibrant colors of the gardens. She used different materials and included ideas from many cultures. She believed her art brought back ancient ideas, saying, "God has given it to me to bring [them] back." Evans created colorful paintings that celebrated her faith and the natural world around her.Inscription(s)Signed in script in (ballpoint pen?) at the lower edge just to the left of vertical center is "minne (sic) Evans" and signed at lower right in ink is "Mrs/Minnie Evans/46". Signed in blue ink at lower right on the reverse of the overall secondary support is "Minne Evans/1946". Beside the preceding, in pencil in printed letters, is "slide Nov./ '73/#616".