16 facts about James G. Evans

James G. Evans (born in New York City, September 1809) was an American player most well-known for painting the “Celebration Of Washington’s Birthday at Malta On Board The USS Constitution, Commodore Jesse D. Elliott, 1837” now in the amassing of the U.S. Naval Academy Museum.

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 established fever and, on the demand of his father, John Evans of Philadelphia, he was discharged as a juvenile 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 upon 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 heritage 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 boat portraits, both naval and merchant. He lived for a times in Cuba from 1840, and later in New Orleans from approximately 1844, where in 1850-52 he took a partner in his house, ship, sign and ornamental painting business, the German-born player Edward Arnold (1824–1866). In 1852-53, he took as a new co-conspirator an artiste named Johnson. Evans left New Orleans to compensation briefly to Cuba in approximately 1853. Little is known of his steadfast years.