Edwin Evans (1860-1946), Boulders by Water Pool, c.1893, oil on canvas, 20 7/8 x 28 ¼ inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, 1941.
An intimate slice of nature, seemingly untouched by human hands, this scene conveys a sense of tranquility and serenity. Utah-born artist Edwin Evans selects a restful scene and works it into a balanced composition, defined by harmonious color tones. Alongside fellow-painters John Hafen, Lorus Pratt, and John B. Fairbanks, Evans spent some time studying painting at the Académie Julian in Paris at the end of the nineteenth century. He was one of the original Mormon art missionaries, sent to Europe by LDS church leadership to improve their individual artistic skill sets and collectively contribute to the beautification of Zion.