Portrait of Lillian Evans Tibbs Evanti

P. H. Polk, Portrait of Lillian Evans Tibbs Evanti, 1937, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Thurlow Evans Tibbs, Jr., 1994.61
P. H. Polk, Portrait of Lillian Evans Tibbs Evanti, 1937, gelatin silver print, image: 10 3⁄8 x 8 in. (26.4 x 20.3 cm) sheet: 13 1⁄2 x 10 1⁄2 in. (34.3 x 26.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Thurlow Evans Tibbs, Jr., 1994.61

Artwork Details

Title
Portrait of Lillian Evans Tibbs Evanti
Artist
Date
1937
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
image: 10 3⁄8 x 8 in. (26.4 x 20.3 cm) sheet: 13 1⁄2 x 10 1⁄2 in. (34.3 x 26.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Thurlow Evans Tibbs, Jr.
Mediums Description
gelatin silver print
Classifications
Subjects
  • African American
  • Dress — accessory — hat
  • Performing arts — music — voice
  • Portrait female — Tibbs, Lillian Evans — full length
  • Portrait female — Evanti, Lillian, Madame — full length
  • Animal — dog — borzoi
Object Number
1994.61
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1994.61

Artwork Description

A stately Russian wolfhound recruited for this portrait accentuates the poise and glamour of Lillian Evans Tibbs. Known professionally as Madame Evanti, this Washington native was an internationally acclaimed lyric soprano and the first African American to sing with the Paris Opera. P.H. Polk treated his clients as collaborators, claiming, “If you can’t touch a person in some way, you don’t get a good picture.” His portrait of Lillian Evans Tibbs was designed to reveal her personality, rather than to promote her celebrity status.


A Democracy of Images: Photographs from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2013

Works by this artist (12 items)

View all artworks
Richard Estes, Big Diamonds, from the portfolio Urban Landscapes No. 2, 1979, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Jerome Canter, 1998.142.2.5, © 1978, Richard Estes
Big Diamonds, from the portfolio Urban Landscapes No. 2
Artist
Date1979
screenprint on paper
Not on view
Richard Estes, 4 1/2% Interest, from the portfolio Urban Landscapes No. 2, 1979, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Jerome Canter, 1998.142.2.4, © 1978, Richard Estes
4 1/2% Interest, from the portfolio Urban Landscapes No. 2
Artist
Date1979
screenprint on paper
Not on view
Richard Estes, Bus Interior, from the portfolio Urban Landscapes No. 3, 1981, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Jerome Canter, 1998.142.3.2, © 1981, Richard Estes
Bus Interior, from the portfolio Urban Landscapes No. 3
Artist
Date1981
screenprint on paper
Not on view
Richard Estes, Picadilly Station, from the portfolio Urban Landscapes No. 2, 1979, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Jerome Canter, 1998.142.2.6, © 1978, Richard Estes
Picadilly Station, from the portfolio Urban Landscapes No. 2
Artist
Date1979
screenprint on paper
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Browse All Artworks
William Goodman, Maquette for Solirio, 1973-1974, hammered, welded and painted steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1979.159.9
Maquette for Solirio
Artist
Date1973-1974
hammered, welded and painted steel
Not on view
Richard Serra, Maquette for Tilted Arc, 1980, bent and incised steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1981.188
Maquette for Tilted Arc
Artist
Date1980
bent and incised steel
Not on view
Melvin Edwards, Tambo, 1993, welded steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment and the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, 1994.55, © 1993, Melvin Edwards
Tambo
Artist
Date1993
welded steel
On view
Alexander Liberman, Maquette for On High, 1978, welded and painted steel on steel base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1980.49.9
Maquette for On High
Artist
Date1978
welded and painted steel on steel base
Not on view