Jessie Laver Evans
Jessie Laver Evans is in some ways rather elusive in the story of Australian art. She is also known as Jessie Lavington Evans with her dates given as 1860 – 1943, (although in some cases incorrectly as 1871 – 1965). Her early skill as an artist saw her awarded 1st prize at a fine arts exhibition at the Brighton Congregational Church in Brighton in 1878. She subsequently attended the National Gallery of Victoria school from 1880 under Fred McCubbin and George Folingsby where her talents saw her awarded 2nd prize Still Life in 1888 and 2nd prize Drawing from the antique in 1890. From 1894, she also pursued studies with Emanuel Phillips Fox and Tudor St George Tucker where she was awarded prizes for her landscapes in 1894 and 1897. Her work was included in the 1880 Intercolonial Industrial Exhibition Melbourne and she exhibited at the Victorian Artists Society.
She held a studio in Collins Street Melbourne between 1896 -1899 and painted in oil and watercolour, mainly seascapes and coastal scenes, in a traditional style likened to John Mather and Emma Minnie Boyd, as well as landscapes and portraits and still life subjects.
Apart from her art practice, Jessie Evans is recognised for her dedication to the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors, where she served for numerous years as secretary. It is a truism that such administrative roles were undertaken by artists who, for whatever reason, were less prominent that professional career artists. As described in the history of the society, “Jessie Laver Evans a sensitive watercolourist, who painted in the plein air stye, quietly fulfilled her obligations as secretary alongside women of impressive, even flamboyant character and manner, as president. She held this post during the years of ascendancy of the Society, when, despite its mixed base, it veered slightly to the left of the artistic spectrum. Jessie herself played little part in forming the group’s outlook. A mixture of radicalism and ‘lady-like’ demeanour held in a fragile balance is the impression created by documentation of the Society at this period.” (Peers, J. More Than Just Gumtrees, Malvern, 1993)
Indeed, her work is rare, with only around a dozen works offered through auction over the past thirty years. Partly, this was a result of her family’s discouragement of her pursuit of painting as a serious career, which was considered ‘unladylike’ and carried the stigma that her family were not able to financially support her. As her artworks were not often offered for public sale, many are unsigned and were not exposed to the market until after her death. Recognition of her art has only more recently come to light with the ongoing global rise and interest in women artists from the 1970s.
For more than 50 years, Jessie Laver Evans lived in Brighton at 14 Dendy St, and painted the Brighton area, especially the nearby beach and seascapes. Her style can be described as characteristic of the Heidelberg School of Australian Impressionism, with a focus on capturing a particular moment, evoking a season and capturing the light of a specific time of day.