Object Details
Artist
P. H. Polk, born Bessemer, AL 1898-died Tuskegee, AL 1984
Sitter
Lillian Evans Tibbs
Madame Lillian Evanti
Exhibition Label
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
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Thurlow Evans Tibbs, Jr.
Date
1937
Object number
1994.61
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Photography-Photoprint
Medium
gelatin silver print
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)
See more items in
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department
Graphic Arts
Data Source
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Topic
African American
Dress\accessory\hat
Performing arts\music\voice
Portrait female\full length
Portrait female\full length
Animal\dog\borzoi
Link to Original Record
Record ID
saam_1994.61
