Henry Evans, American (1918–1990)
Lily. 1981. Linocut. 88/145.
18”x25”
Artist: Henry Evans
Title: Lily
Date: 1981
Signature: Henry Evans 1981, pencil lower right
Medium: Linoleum block / Linocut print
Edition: 89/145
Viewable Image: 12" W x 18" L
Framed Image: 18.5" W x 25" L, brass metal frame, double bevel mat, ivory & orange
Condition: Excellent Image, Minor wear to brass frame. No glass.
Bio info-
A self taught artist and printer, Henry Evans (1918–1990) is an American icon whose unique work definitely establishes him as part of the great tradition of botanical print artists and printers that originates in the 1500’s. Starting in 1958, he illustrated 1400 subjects and held more than 250 one-man shows worldwide. Using an 1852 Washington Hand Press and linoleum with a wide variety of high quality papers, he hand printed linocuts in small editions, all dated, signed and numbered by the artist who then destroyed the original blocks.
His work is held by many notable institutions including the Smithsonian, The Library of Congress, The Royal Horticultural society of London, and so on. He lectured widely both in the US and abroad and was the author of notable publications, including The State Flowers of the United States (1972). His wife’s organizational assistance enabled him to concentrate on the work of writing, lecturing, botanical illustration and print making. It is from the website she maintains that we derive our information. There you will find more detail of this amazing story, and the printing methods used.
Henry Evans (1918-1990)
Henry Evans was a man of many talents - a rare book dealer, a printer, and an artist. He owned the Porpoise Bookshop in San Francisco. He acquired his 1852 Washington Hand Press in 1949 and established the Peregrine Press by which he produced a number books he was interested in printing and the art work of Bay Area artists, such as Rick Barton, Mel Fowler, Mark Luca, Robert Quick, Leonard Basking, and Edward Hagedorn.
Henry began to cut linoleum blocks so that he could learn to understand the best way to print the works of these artists. After learning to cut the linoleum, he started making his own botanical prints. Henry would draw his subjects directly from living plants and depicted life size. He would draw the design on the linoleum and cut the design in the block. He liked linoleum as a material because when properly warmed it would cut like butter due to the softness of the material, which would result in fluid and supple prints. Henry would destroy his linoleum blocks once his particular printing edition was completed. Marsha Evans, his wife, would do most of the printing. Marsha has indicated that it could take four days to make a particular print if the drawing contained four colors.
Henry Evans began making his botanical prints in 1958 and during his career he drew more than 1400 subjects. In 1964, he decided to close the bookstore and to become solely “Henry Evans –Printmaker.” His botanical prints became very popular with the public and with museums and galleries. He has had more that 250 one-man shows and his works are in the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, the Albertina in Vienna, the Clark Library at UCLA, the Gleeson Library, and the Bancroft Library, just to mention a few. Dr Donovan McCune was an early admirer and patron. The McCune Collection has one of the largest holding of Henry Evans prints in the nation.