Is This Painting by Francis Quirk? We think... No...

Painting signed T. Quirk '94.

In the Summer of 2015, this beautiful golden landscape painting went up for sale in Vermont. We were intrigued because the painting was well executed, located in New England and had the name Quirk associated with it. We know that Francis Quirk summered in Maine and planned to spend a good deal of time there painting after retiring from teaching at Lehigh University. The Quirk name is not common, however there are a few other painters with the name in the listings. Artnet lists seven Quirks and there is a Danny Quirk who paints some interesting anatomical paintings.

Circumstances did not allow us to attend the preview or the auction. But there has been that nagging feeling that perhaps this actually may have been a work by Francis. Whatever the case, digging into it has been an interesting journey. 

While we had never seen a pastoral landscape by Quirk, we had seen his tremendous versatility with works in oil, pastel, and watercolor. He also was not afraid to take on a variety of subjects including portraits, animals, marine paintings and even figure studies. Francis J. Quirk could paint almost anything.

The subject matter implies that the painting is older as the farmers collecting the hay use a horse drawn wagon and stacks,not rows, of hay are drying in the golden field. According to a History of Hay Farm Equipment on the FarmCollector.com website tractors did not begin replacing horses until the 1930's. But we doubt that there were many still farming this way in the 1970's. Even in the communes of Vermont.

The detail is commendable with shadows of trees and haystack highlights well executed. The background hills, fences and workmen also exhibit the skill of a talented hand. The workers move the hay manually. 

The Elm trees also are a sign that this painting is either drawn from imagination or comes from a period before Dutch Elm Disease wiped out the mature trees in the U.S. This disease came to the U.S. in 1928 through a shipment of elm wood from the Netherlands. The disease was contained fairly well,but broke out in World War II and effectively eliminated the natural cathedrals along our streets by 1989. It is possible that if a painter in 1974 could have been painting healthy Elm Trees, but not likely.

The Featherduster Elm of Wolfeboro, NH died in 1986 from Dutch elm Disease. The Main Street landmark was the tallest in New England and 217 years old.

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire’s Featherduster elm tree once was a famous landmark marking the entrance to town. Note the enormous size of the elm in the painting. It is 3 feet in diameter. 

There may be chestnut trees in the background as well. Chestnut was once the most prominent tree in the forests of the East Coast, but they were logged for construction materials and many a colonial barn timbers are made of the fire resistant wood. But the trees that the loggers did not get were finished off by a blight that came to the country in 1904 from Japan.

 

Chestnur Trees with Loggers Photo couresy of Forest History Society

If this was painted by Francis Quirk, then it had to be painted by imagination; perhaps as a favor for someone or an illustration.

 

Close up of signature

Without seeing the painting and checking the back for other clues, this brings it down to the signature. The signature clearly says “T. Quirk”. The signature is executed with some care with emphasis on the vertical lines on the Q and the lower tail of the K.  But when comparing that to the signatures of the known Quirk works, we can see that there are some similarities.  The first letter is canted to the right with the top cross stroke sometimes executed like a T and the lower cross stroke de-emphasized. 

The middle letters in Quirk are similar in execution with a tail on the u and a higher dot on the i. Finally, the finishing K is  given greater emphasis.  Note how the upper right portion of the letter is lengthened in both the lower right signatures. 

The date also adds an element of mystery. It follows the same format of all the works we have seen dated by Quirk with an apostrophe and two digits. The numeral four is formed in the same classic style as that of the top Summer Preacher painting of 1944.  

But the first digit remains an enigma. If it is a 9, then the painting is not by Quirk as he was born in 1907 and died in 1974. On the other hand, if it is a 7, then it could have been painted in the last year of his life. But if it was the 1874 or 1894, then Francis was not yet even born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

The 1870’s was a time of healing after the Civil War when people were seeking a more peaceful time. While 19th century's foremost painter Winslow Homer executed some wonderful paintings during the war such as "The Sharpshooter" His painting of innocence such as “Snap the Whip” are perhaps well remembered and a salve for a country violently ripped apart. At this time the country was industrializing and the little red school houses were becoming a thing of the past. The exuberant boys have the bare feet of youth and the suspenders of mature men at labor. Like the nation, they are struggling to stay united.

 

Snap the Whip by Winslow Homer  Metropolitan Museum of Art

November 15, 2016 update. 

After seeing many of Quirk's paintings in the Maine estate sale, we have come to the conclusion that this painting is not by Francis Quirk. We come to this conclusion based on three reasons.

1. The signature is not typical. We have never seen him sign his work with an initial and the last name. Every other signature spells out his full first name and frequently includes his middle initial. 

2. The signature is T. Quirk. It is unlike Francis to make such a sloppy error of leaving off the middle cross mark of an 'F' particularly in such a carefully executed signature. 

3.The painting style is not in keeping with his oeuvre.  

It is a nice painting, but not by Francis Quirk.   

Painter Francis Quirk Exhibited at De Sales University in 1973

In our ongoing quest to track down the career and works of Francis Quirk, we have found people to be immensely helpful.

Our research identified information about a 1973 exhibition at Allentown College of Saint Francis de Sales, which has been renamed the De Sales University. We reached out to the institution and a part-time researcher went back into their archives to find the attached invitation. Alas, it contains no painting images, but it does give us a date. 

 

Invitation for 1973 Exhibition of the Work of Francis J. Quirk at Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales

We are reaching out to the University’s newspaper, The Minstrel that has archives going back to the 1970’s. We hope that there is an article discussing the opening that we can tap into for information and to help build our image library.

Albert Christ-Janer Donor of Francis Quirk Painting to Georgia Museum of Art

In researching Quirk's painting "The Soloist"  we learned that it was donated to the Georgia Museum of Art by Albert Christ-Janer.  It appears that he was a well-known artist himself.  This is another Harvard connection for Quirk as he exhibited a painting of another Harvard Man in Providence RI.

Here is a bit about Christ-Janer

 

Albert William Christ-Janer,  American, (1910 - 1973)

Painter, graphic artist, writer, and teacher Albert William Christ-Janer was born in Appleton, Minnesota. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, Yale University, and Harvard University. Christ-Janer wrote about American artists Boardman Robinson and John Caleb Bingham, and taught at a variety of institutions, including Stephens College, Cranbrook Academy, Pratt Institute Art School, and the University of Georgia. He was also an artist-in-residence at Tamarind Lithography Workshop in 1972.

An avid printmaker, Christ-Janer developed personal working methods that often involved a good deal of risk and uncertainty. Through his experimentations he created a range of tones and textures that deepen and enliven his abstract forms. Nature was always his starting point, and he once stated, "The earth, sky, and the sea are my sources of information; art is my inspiration."

 

Work by Albert Christ-Janner Landforms GA 11, n.d  Lithograph on Paper  Courtesy of the Art Institue of Chicago.

He taught at the University of Georgia during the last three years of his life. After his death the created a major award in his honor. 

Janner also was affiliated with Penn State and designed a noteworthy house to live in. Below are some excerpts from a web-site discussing the house.

The Christ-Janer House

525 Glenn Road
1956
Albert W. and Virginia Christ-Janer

Albert Christ-Janer was Dean of Arts and Architecture at Penn State. A brother was an architect of some note (who said that the secret to success as an architect was to marry a wealthy woman). Architecture historian Richard Porter recalls that at the time of completion, the house was the most discussed in town and guests to parties there thought that if they ever had a house like this, they would have truly "arrived." Also the furnishings included that icon of the period, an Eames lounge chair, as well as other noted mid-century modern pieces and appropriate large art works.

The front entry to the house is directly behind the chimney. The entry is located midway between the two levels of the main house wing. Notice the dramatic use of natural lighting and the compression-expansion technique so prized by Wright.

These are pictures of the window wall of the great room Looking out per the photo, one has the feeling of being in a secluded woods. This is quite amazing considering that the two adjacent houses are quite close by.

These photos are details of the window wall of the great room. While in-room closet space is generous, storage for out-of-season items is scarce. If you look carefully at the base of the window wall, you can see that the inside flooring stops short and flagstone is to both sides of the glass to enhance the feeling of being outdoors. The main entry way can be seen in the upper center of the right photo.

The dining area of the great room is tucked dramatically under a balcony room. Live trailing ivy grows from planters in the dividing wall above. The side of the house has no desirable view (in fact, the reverse is true), so the full length windows are semi-opaque to hide the outside while letting natural light flow in.

Sadly, Christ-Janer died in an auto crash near Como, Italy during a 4 month stay there. He was only 63. There is a scholarship awarded each year in his honor.

Francis J. Quirk Painting at the Georgia Museum of Art Portrait of Queenie Williams

The Georgia Museum of Art has graciously supported the efforts to bring the works of Quirk back to light by sharing a photo of his portrait of Queenie Williams. (Thank you Sarah!)

The Georgia Museum of Art is both a university museum at the University of Georgia and, since 1982, the official state museum of art. Located on the East Campus of UGA, in the Performing and Visual Arts Complex, it opened in 1948. Recently, it completed an extensive expansion and remodeling of its building, paid for entirely with externally raised funds, that has allowed it to display its permanent collection continually. The museum offers programming for patrons of all ages, from child to senior citizen, as well as free admission to the public for all exhibitions. It organizes its own exhibitions in-house, creates traveling exhibitions for other museums and galleries and plays host to traveling exhibitions from around the country and the globe. The museum strives, most of all, to fulfill the legacy of its founder, Alfred Heber Holbrook, and provide art for everyone, removing barriers to accessibility and seeking to foster an open, educational and inspiring environment for students, scholars and the general public.

Wow! It is good to see that there is nice culture going on in the city that produces football powerhouses, providing a nice option for those who want to grow culturally before heading over to the game..


Here is how they have it cataloged.

Francis J. Quirk

The Soloist (Queenie Williams), 1968

Acrylic on board

36 x 30

GMOA 1971.2686

Credit: Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Gift of Albert Christ-Janer

The Soloist (Queenie Williams) by Francis J. Quirk

 On the portrait, the handling of the white neck piece is done particularly. It brings to mind the quote "Without color there is no white."

Here is an uncropped view with the color chart.

 

We have only had a little time to search for information on Ms. Williams.  If you have any information on her, please leave it as a comment.

 

Four more Francis Quirk Paintings at Lehigh University

Today we post the images of the final five paintings from the Lehigh University Art Gallery collection. 

 

John McDowell Leavitt by Francis Quirk Oil on Canvas Image Courtesy of Lehigh University

The first is of an earlier President of the University, John McDowell Leavitt DD who was in charge from 1875-1879. The profile portrait was painted from a picture or some other source as Quirk was not even born until 1907. The painting hangs in the University's Presidents Gallery. It is reminiscent of a Lincoln cent profile, technically very well executed with nice hands and execution of the fabrics, but is relatively uninspiring. We do not hold this against Quirk as it was probably painted to order.

"The Lunenberger R. W. F" by Francis Quirk Oil on Canvas Image Courtesy of Lehigh University

The second painting is a nautical scene of “The Lunenberger, R.W.F.” and was painted in 1970. As a boy coming of age at this time, I remember well ethereal posters and artworks such as 'Yes' Album Covers and the like that appealed to smokers of cannabis. 

Yes Album Cover Art

These were plastered all over the fraternity houses at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute that I frequented to access their Foosball tables or comic books. With its swirling clouds, this painting fits into this genre, which holds little appeal for this viewer.

  

 

Spring on South Mountain by Francis Quirk Oil on Canvas   Image Courtesy of Lehigh University

On a more positive note, the third painting from 1955 “Spring On South Mountain” holds greater appeal. The eye follows a stream up into the spring hills giving the work surprising depth.  As the trees bud out and dogwood flowers, the world transforms from the browns of winter to the bright green of early spring. The color palette is unusual, but oddly appealing. This is the first landscape of Quirk’s to come to our attention and it is a creditable work.

Biddle Pool Maine by Francis Quirk Oil on Canvas Image Courtesy of Lehigh University

The fourth painting from 1956 is “Biddle Pool Maine” and it probably was executed during one of his summers in “Vacationland.” Executed in a more painterly, ‘en plein aire’ fashion it does capture the movement of the massive waves of water one can see along the Maine Coast. 

View from Marginal Way in Ogunquit Maine

Map of Ogunquit Maine

Again hearkening back to my youth I remember walking on the Marginal Way in Ogunquit looking down over the massive rocks as gigantic waves rolled in. (How my parents let me climb among those rocks without freaking out amazes me. Perhaps that was one of the benefits of a large family- if they lost one or two there were others to carry on the family name. The portfolio theory of genetics.)

The final painting is “Young Pakistani Lady #1” and it was gifted to the school by Viola Fearnsworth. The relatively small oil on board may have been a study for something else or part of a series of studies. It is endearing in a certain way with soft hues. Beyond that there is not much more to say.

Young Pakistani Lady by Francis Quirk  
Image Courtesy of Lehigh University

We continue to scour the world for Quirk works. There are no paintings in the collection of Penn State University Museum. But there may be a few old paintings hanging around the old Ogontz College campus that is now Penn State Abington.

Map of the Penn State University System  Abington is in the lower right, near Philadelphia.

We are waiting on images from the University of Georgia and the University of Notre Dame.

The ball may have been dropped on one picture that was auctioned in New England recently. It was a landscape of fields and trees signed “T. Quirk.” After seeing more of Quirk’s signatures, I now believe in hindsight that it was executed by Francis Quirk with the ‘F’ missing the lower cross hatch. Efforts to relocate that image have been fruitless. If it turns up, we will post it for you to make your own decision.

This lengthy post would not be complete without a thank you to the helpful people at Lehigh University Art Gallery who reached into their archives for us.