Philip Evergood
Encyclopedia
Philip Howard Francis Dixon Evergood (born Howard Blashki; 1901–1973) was an American painter, etcher, lithographer, sculptor, illustrator and writer. He was particularly active during the Depression
and World War II
era.
. His mother was English and his father, Miles Evergood
, was an Australian artist who, in 1915, changed his name from Blashki to Evergood. Philip Evergood's formal education began in 1905. He studied music and by 1908 he was playing the piano in a concert with his teacher.
He attended different English boarding schools starting in 1909 and was educated mainly at Eton
and Cambridge University. In 1921 he decided to study art, left Cambridge
, and went to London
to study with Tonks
at the Slade School.
In 1923 Evergood went back to New York where he studied at the Art Students League of New York
for a year. He then returned to Europe
, worked at various jobs in Paris
, painted independently, and studied at the Académie Julian
, both with André Lhote
and with Stanley William Hayter
; Hayter taught him engraving.
He returned to New York in 1926 and began a career that was marked by the hardships of severe illness, an almost fatal operation, and constant financial trouble.
It was not until the collector Joseph H. Hirshhorn purchased several of his paintings that he could consider his financial troubles over. Evergood worked on WPA
art projects from 1934 to 1937 where he painted two murals: The Story of Richmond Hill (1936–37, Public Library branch, Queens, N.Y.) and Cotton from Field to Mill (1938, Jackson, Ga.). He taught both music and art as late as 1943, and finally moved to Southbury, Connecticut
, in 1952. He was a full member of the Art Students League of New York and the National Institute of Arts and Letters.
He was killed in a house fire in Bridgewater, Connecticut
, in 1973 at the age of 72.
, Bosch, Brueghel
, Goya, Daumier, Toulouse-Lautrec, Sloan
's Ashcan paintings, and even prehistoric cave art.
Though he experimented with etching
and lithography
in the 1920s, he did not begin to devote himself on a large scale to original printmaking until after 1945. At this time he studied printmaking techniques at the New York studio of Stanley William Hayter
. During the following twenty-five years he produced many works of art in both lithography and etching.
During the 1950s Evergood departed from his established "Social Realism" style and concentrated on symbolism, both biblical and mythological. A characteristic work of this period in Evergood's life is The New Lazarus, painted in 1954 and presently housed in the Whitney Museum of American Art
.
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era.
Life
Philip Evergood was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. His mother was English and his father, Miles Evergood
Miles Evergood
Miles Evergood was an Australian artist who achieved renown in Europe and the United States, as well as his native country...
, was an Australian artist who, in 1915, changed his name from Blashki to Evergood. Philip Evergood's formal education began in 1905. He studied music and by 1908 he was playing the piano in a concert with his teacher.
He attended different English boarding schools starting in 1909 and was educated mainly at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Cambridge University. In 1921 he decided to study art, left Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, and went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to study with Tonks
Tonks
Tonks may refer to:*Benjamin Tonks , New Zealand politician*Dick Tonks , New Zealand rower*Greig Tonks , English rugby union player*Henry Tonks , English surgeon and artist...
at the Slade School.
In 1923 Evergood went back to New York where he studied at the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
for a year. He then returned to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, worked at various jobs in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, painted independently, and studied at the Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
, both with André Lhote
André Lhote
André Lhote was a French sculptor and painter of figure subjects, portraits, landscapes and still life. He was also very active and influential as a teacher and writer on art....
and with Stanley William Hayter
Stanley William Hayter
Stanley William Hayter , CBE was a British painter and printmaker associated in the 1930s with Surrealism and from 1940 onward with Abstract Expressionism. Regarded as one of the most significant printmakers of the 20th century, in 1927 Hayter founded the legendary Atelier 17 studio in Paris...
; Hayter taught him engraving.
He returned to New York in 1926 and began a career that was marked by the hardships of severe illness, an almost fatal operation, and constant financial trouble.
It was not until the collector Joseph H. Hirshhorn purchased several of his paintings that he could consider his financial troubles over. Evergood worked on WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
art projects from 1934 to 1937 where he painted two murals: The Story of Richmond Hill (1936–37, Public Library branch, Queens, N.Y.) and Cotton from Field to Mill (1938, Jackson, Ga.). He taught both music and art as late as 1943, and finally moved to Southbury, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, in 1952. He was a full member of the Art Students League of New York and the National Institute of Arts and Letters.
He was killed in a house fire in Bridgewater, Connecticut
Bridgewater, Connecticut
Bridgewater is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,824 at the 2000 census. It is the only remaining dry town in Connecticut.-Geography:...
, in 1973 at the age of 72.
Art
Evergood's influences include El GrecoEl Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
, Bosch, Brueghel
Brueghel
Brueghel or Bruegel was the name of several Dutch/Flemish painters from the same family line:* Pieter Bruegel the Elder — The most famous member of the family and the only one to sign his paintings as 'Bruegel' without the H....
, Goya, Daumier, Toulouse-Lautrec, Sloan
John French Sloan
John French Sloan was an American artist. As a member of The Eight, he became a leading figure in the Ashcan School of realist artists. He was known for his urban genre painting and ability to capture the essence of neighborhood life in New York City, often through his window...
's Ashcan paintings, and even prehistoric cave art.
Though he experimented with etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
and lithography
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
in the 1920s, he did not begin to devote himself on a large scale to original printmaking until after 1945. At this time he studied printmaking techniques at the New York studio of Stanley William Hayter
Stanley William Hayter
Stanley William Hayter , CBE was a British painter and printmaker associated in the 1930s with Surrealism and from 1940 onward with Abstract Expressionism. Regarded as one of the most significant printmakers of the 20th century, in 1927 Hayter founded the legendary Atelier 17 studio in Paris...
. During the following twenty-five years he produced many works of art in both lithography and etching.
During the 1950s Evergood departed from his established "Social Realism" style and concentrated on symbolism, both biblical and mythological. A characteristic work of this period in Evergood's life is The New Lazarus, painted in 1954 and presently housed in the Whitney Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
.
Oils at auction
The following is a sample of Evergood oil paintings that have sold at auction. Significant works in oil by the artist tend to be in the five figure range (USD), while less important works are most often represented by sales in the low, mid and high four figure range (USD). Extremely important works of particular renown by this artist can reasonably be expected to break into the six figure range (USD) and are infrequently seen on the open market due to heavy museum consumption of important Evergood works from the 1950s through the 1980s.- 13-09-06 Victory Buttons Oil 54,000 USD
- 13-07-06 Self-portrait With Nudes Oil 1,680 USD
- 25-06-06 Girl In Garden Oil 2,185 USD
- 03-12-05 Little Rock Oil 8,000 USD
- 24-05-05 Still Life With Fishermen Oil 8,500 USD
- 22-05-05 Woman And Laughing Dog Brush 2,300 USD
- 20-05-05 Portrait Of Richard Esquire Oil 1,057 USD
- 23-03-05 Forest With Riders Oil 6,600 USD
- 27-09-04 Fruit 76.8 x 59.1 in Oil 28,680 USD
- 08-09-04 Fat Of The Land Oil 8,963 USD
- 18-05-04 The Dog Bite Clinic Oil 71,700 USD
- 07-03-04 Children And Very Giant Squash Oil 7,000 USD
- 07-10-03 World War I Oil Unsold
Exhibitions Of Note
Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1928, 1939–1963, Salons of America, 1934, PAFA, 1934-66 (gold medal 1949, 1958), AIC 1935 (prize), AIC 1946 (prize), WFNY, 1939, La Pintura Comtemporanea Norte America, 1941, WMA, 1942, AV 1942 (prize), American-British Goodwill Art Exhibition, 1944, Pepsi Cola Art Competition, 1944 (winner), Tate Gallery: London 1946, American Art Exhibition: Moscow, 1959, WMAA 1934-66 (Evergood Retrospective- 1967), Gallery Of Modern Art, Hunington, Hartford Museum, 1967, ASL New York, 1967–68, Smithsonian, 1968, The WPA Art Of New York City Exhibit, Parsons School Of Design, 1977 (posthumous)Works in museums
This is a partial list of works by Evergood in museums.- Smithsonian (numerous)
- Tate GalleryTate GalleryThe Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
, London (numerous) - Boston Museum of Fine Arts (numerous)
- Los Angeles County Museum of ArtLos Angeles County Museum of ArtThe Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
(numerous) - Art Institute of ChicagoArt Institute of ChicagoThe School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
(numerous) - Metropolitan Museum of ArtMetropolitan Museum of ArtThe Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
(numerous) - Museum of Modern Art, New York (numerous)
- Hunter Museum of American ArtHunter Museum of American ArtThe Hunter Museum of American Art is an art museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The museum's collections include works representing the Hudson River School, 19th century genre painting, American Impressionism, the Ashcan School, early modernism, regionalism, and post World War II modern and...
(Love on the Beach, 1937) - Brooklyn Museum of Art (numerous)
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture GardenHirshhorn Museum and Sculpture GardenThe Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum beside the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., the United States. The museum was initially endowed during the 1960s with the permanent art collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. It was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft and is part of the...
- Montclair Art MuseumMontclair Art MuseumThe Montclair Art Museum is located in Montclair, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States.-Collection:The Montclair Art Museum is one of the few museums in the United States devoted to American art and Native American art forms. The collection consists of more than 12,000 works...
(Fascist Company, 1942) - Orange County Museum of ArtOrange County Museum of ArtThe Orange County Museum of Art is a museum located in Newport Beach, California.The museum's collection comprises more than 3,000 objects, with a concentration on the art of California from the early 20th century to present...
(Madonna of the Mines, 1932) - Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago
- Terra Foundation for the Arts (Passing Show, 1951)
- Tweed Museum of Art at the University of Minnesota, Duluth (Pittsburgh Family, 1944)
- University of Kentucky Art MuseumUniversity of Kentucky Art MuseumThe University of Kentucky Art Museum is an art museum in Lexington, Kentucky. The collection includes European and American artwork ranging from Old Masters to contemporary, as well as a selection of Non-Western objects...
(Self-Portrait, 1960) - Whitney Museum of American ArtWhitney Museum of American ArtThe Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
(Lily and the Sparrows, 1939, The New Lazarus 1954) - Vatican Museum (Strange Bird Contemplating the Doom of Man)
- Jule Collins Smith Museum at Auburn University (Fascist Leader, 1946)
- Baltimore Museum of ArtBaltimore Museum of ArtThe Baltimore Museum of Art in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, was founded in 1914. Built in the Roman Temple style, the Museum is home to an internationally renowned collection of 19th-century, modern, and contemporary art. Founded in 1914 with a single painting, the BMA today has 90,000 works...
(No Sale, 1945, Flight of Fancy, 1947) - Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA ("Music", 1933–1959)
- Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA (The Rubber Raft, 1945)
- Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH (Spring, 1934)
External links
- The Good, the Bad and Philip Evergood
- Smithsonian Online Page Representing The Evergood Papers Collection
- Columbus Museum of Art Web page on Evergood's 1934 oil painting Spring (click on picture for larger image)
- Kendall Taylor collection relating to Philip Evergood at Syracuse University
- Collection of Paintings by Philip Evergood, at Terminartors.com