James G. Evans

James G. Evans (born in New York City, September 1809) was an American artist most famous for painting the "Celebration Of Washington's Birthday at Malta On Board The USS Constitution, Commodore Jesse D. Elliott, 1837" now in the collection of the U.S. Naval Academy Museum.

Career

When Evans enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as a private in July 1829, he listed his trade as a shoemaker. Shortly after enlisting he contracted fever and, on the request of his father, John Evans of Philadelphia, he was discharged as a minor in October 1829. Nine months later, in July 1830, he re-enlisted in the Marine Corps and served until he was discharged at Norfolk, Virginia, on 4 March 1836. Based on some of his known paintings, he may have served in USS Constellation in 1830-32 and he is known to have served in the ship-of-the line USS Delaware from 1832 to 1836.

While serving in the Mediterranean, Evans became engaged to a Spanish woman named Ana on Minorca. After his discharge, Evans returned to Minorca and married her and remained there until 1838 or 1839, when he returned to New York. Evans painted a number of ship portraits, both naval and merchant. He lived for a time in Cuba from 1840, and then in New Orleans from about 1844, where in 1850-52 he took a partner in his house, ship, sign and ornamental painting business, the German-born artist Edward Arnold (1824–1866). In 1852-53, he took as a new partner an artist named Johnson. Evans left New Orleans to return briefly to Cuba in about 1853. Little is known of his remaining years.