Mrs. William T. Evans and Her Son

Henry O. Walker, Mrs. William T. Evans and Her Son, 1895, oil on canvas, 36 ¹⁄₈ x 29 in. (91.7 x 73.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1915.4.1

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Artwork Details

Title: Mrs. William T. Evans and Her Son
Artist: Henry O. Walker
Date: 1895
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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2nd Floor
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East Wing
Dimensions: 36 ¹⁄₈ x 29 in. (91.7 x 73.8 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of William T. Evans
Mediums: oil
Mediums Description: oil on canvas
Classifications: Painting
Subjects: Portrait group — family — mother and child
Portrait female — Evans, William T., Mrs. — knee length
Object Number: 1915.4.1
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1915.4.1

Artwork Description

This painting shows the wife and son of William Thomas Evans, a businessman and art collector who donated a large number of paintings to this museum in 1915. Henry Oliver Walker chose to portray Mrs. Evans reading a book to her son, emphasizing that she was raising the child with a classical education in literature. Light bounces off the ornate tabernacle frame, drawing us into the image and bringing out the lighter shades of paint in the figures' faces. The floral pattern in the gilded surround mimics the lively brushstrokes in the background, while the scrolls at the top echo the design of the armrest, strengthening the relationship between the image and its frame.