Photos of Francis Quirk and Various Paintings

Through the Lehigh University Photographic Collection we have found several pictures of Francis Quirk discussing various paintings. We have not been able to identify the paintings.

A younger Francis Quirk (1950?) with unknown gentleman. Courtesy of a Lehigh University Photographic Collection

 The photo below in one reference describes the woman as being his wife.

 Francis Quirk showing a painting to a woman (his wife Anna?) and Ralph L. Wilson Courtesy of a Lehigh University Photographic Collection

Below is another painting of Quirk with Ralph L. Wilson. Again, we do not have details on the painting. Ralph was a significant donor to Lehigh's Art Museum and donated a Warhol in 1975.

Francis Quirk discussing a painting with philanthropist Ralph L. Wilson   Courtesy of a Lehigh University Photographic Collection

Quirk Dedicating Sculpture

In the Photographic archives at Lehigh University we found this photo of Quirk dedicating a new sculpture in Maginnes Hall, which is the Fine Arts Building.  The Hall was opened in 1971 and once housed the University Bookstore.

We do not know details on the sculpture yet.  With the picture is the following text.  

Quirk, Francis J.; Kelly, J.J.; Franz, Paul J., Jr.; Yates, W. Ross (Willard Ross) / Maginnes Hall / Fine Arts

Willard Ross Yates was a Dean who wrote a history of Lehigh.
Franz was in Development for the University 

The dedication for the College of Arts and Science is interesting. It reads: Albert Bristol Maginnes "Alumnus and Trustee of Lehigh University, he excelled in many fields: the law, athletics, music and the fine arts. His life was one of integrity and service; his love of man, his gentleness and warmth of personality enriched those whose lives he touched. He enabled many men to come to Lehigh University; he advised them to the life of inquiry and truth which was his own." Mr. Maginnes was the Class of 1921.

Below is an exterior shot of Maginnes Hall from the 1970's.

Quirk at Work

Through the photo archives at Lehigh University we were able to get some pictures of the master painter at work and various events around campus.  The first shows Quirk at work in1973 painting Mr. George Fearnside Jr.. A photo of the final result is below.

Francis Quirk painting Mr. Fearnside in 1972  Courtesy of Lehigh University Photographic Archives

Below are several photos of him at the 1973 exhibition of his work at Lehigh University.

Francis J. Quirk speaking at the 1973 exhibit of his work. Courtesy of Lehigh University Photographic Archives

Francis J. Quirk discussing a few of his paintings at the 1973 exhibit of his work. Courtesy of Lehigh University Photographic Archives

Amelia Earhardt and Abby Sutherland Brown of Ogontz College

While this is a bit off-topic, it is an interesting side item. While seeking the possible location of Francis Quirk's portrait of Carl Sandburg, we conducted a search on information related to Abby Sutherland Brown. She was the primary force driving Ogontz College and commissioned the portrait of her friend, Sandburg. 

Carl Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, writer, and editor who won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg was widely regarded as "a major figure in contemporary literature", especially for volumes of his collected verse, including Chicago Poems (1916), Cornhuskers (1918), and Smoke and Steel (1920).


The main Sandburg portrait we found is the work of William Smith from 1961. It is not the work of Francis J. Quirk.

Portrait of Carl Sandburg by William Smith

In a Dictionary of Literary Influences we came across this write up of Ogontz College student Amelia Earhart and her relationship with Abby. 

You can find the original text of the book here. 

Francis Quirk Obituaries

A thoughtful friend of Francis Quirk came across our blog and graciously provided two obituaries. They do provide some interesting new information. 

First, he died in Portland, Maine. We knew he planned to retire there to paint after retiring from Lehigh. We do not know where he lived in the area yet. He was buried in Laurel Hill Cemetary in Saco, so that may have been his hometown. His wife has been linked to their Arts Education program.

Second, we learned that one of his artworks found its way to the Zurich Embassy. So that gives us another thread to run down in seeking his work. 

Obituary of Francis J. Quirk from the Allentown Call

Globe (?) Obituary for Francis J. Quirk

Finally, he had a son and daughter-in law who lived in Portland. Sadly, his son who attended Colby College died in 1997.  Here is the bio for James from the Colby Alumni Magazine.

James R.F. Quirk '65, Feb. 23, 1997, in Alexandria, La., at 50. A professor of computer science at Louisiana State University-Alexandria, he was rated by the National Chess Federation and played postal chess with opponents from around the world. Survivors include his daughter, Marie Quirk, and a sister. 

Francis J. Quirk Ephemera- Report Card Signatures

Scholars at the Penn State Library System graciously shared this Ogontz College report card with Francis J. Quirk's signatures on it. With loopy flourishes his artistic flair shows through.

Ogontz College Report Card signed by Francis Quirk.

Helen Hoffman Artist Influenced by Francis Quirk at Ogontz College- We mourn her passing.

We are sad to report the death of one of Francis Quirk's students at Ogontz College. Helen Bacon Hoffman was gracious in sharing her memories of Francis and Ogontz  College and we had a delightful conversation. Her obituary is pasted below. 

Helen Bacon Hoffman, known to friends as "Biddy," passed away on November 8, 2017, at the age of 87 years. Helen is survived by her husband of 66 years, Richard, her children, Kathi (Terry), Rick (Faith), and Cindy (Alex), five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and her brother, Stanley Bacon.

Helen was a renowned artist whose medium included oils and pastels. Her unique talent was in the tone she set through the action of light, shadows and reflected light. In each of her paintings, she produced exquisite depictions of everyday settings made extraordinary by beautifully drawn contrasts of light and shadow.

Helen always said, "I want to explore the familiar, to discover the world around me, rather than create one of my own. Whether it is in the bustle of a market place or the quiet moment of a reader with his book, there is a mood created that I try to share on canvas. I want to involve my viewers and give them a moment of pleasure."

Helen was born in San Antonio, Texas and began studying art as a teenager with the noted Southwest artist, Hugo Pohl. She later studied at the Parsons School of Design in New York City and with the world famous artist, Herbert E. Abrams.

When she married Army officer, Richard, her husband's career meant worldwide travel. Helen took advantage of her nomadic life by painting wherever she found herself, often returning to her former haunts of Hawaii, Mexico and Europe to paint. Helen also found intriguing subjects for her paintings in Florida, her residence since 1986.

One of Helen's favorite sources of artistic inspiration was her greenhouse where she cultivated exotic orchids and became an active member of the Jacksonville Orchid Society. When Helen retired and moved from her Deerwood home to Fleet Landing, Atlantic Beach, she donated her lifetime orchid collection to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

Helen's career included an impressive listing of art awards, shows, and permanent art exhibits. She also won many statewide awards for her orchids.

Our original post 

In our ongoing quest to learn more about the forgotten master painter Francis Quirk, we have come across one of his students. Interestingly, Helen Hoffman worked in both oils and pastels. These media were also used by Quirk. 

We have reached out to Helen through her family and she graciously provided a few memories of him. While in his class in 1948, she said he was tall, strict but nice. His History of Art class was first thing in the morning and he frequently would call out her name to ensure that she was paying attention. But he also paid attention to the sketches and oils that Helen produced; telling her that she was the best draftsman he had ever had. And a survey of Helen's works shows that she certainly has a skilled hand.

The following is from her website.

Helen Bacon Hoffman is a realist who works in both oils and pastels. Hoffman’s unique talent is in the tone she sets through the action of light, shadows and reflected light. In each of her paintings, the viewer will observe exquisite depictions of everyday settings made extraordinary by beautifully drawn contrasts of light and shadow. Maturity of expression and dramatic mood are the hallmarks of all her works.

Artist Helen Hoffman who studied with Francis Quirk at Ogontz College

Hoffman says “I want to explore the familiar, to discover the world around me, rather than create one of my own. Whether it is in the bustle of a market place or the quiet moment of a reader with his book, there is a mood created that I try to share on canvas. I want to involve my viewers and give them a moment of pleasure.”

Helen Hoffman was born in San Antonio, Texas and began studying art as a teenager with the noted Southwest artist, Hugo Pohl. She majored in art at Ogontz College, now a part of the University of Pennsylvania, and continued her studies at the Parsons School of Design in New York City. Later, Hoffman studied with the world famous artist, Herbert E. Abrams at West Point, NY.

When she married an Army officer, Richard Hoffman, her husband’s career meant travel for her and her three children. His frequent overseas assignments required that she balance her artistic career with managing home and family. Hoffman took advantage of her nomadic life by painting wherever she found herself. Even now, she returns to her former haunts of Hawaii, Mexico and Europe to paint. Hoffman also finds intriguing subjects for her paintings in Florida, her current residence. One of Hoffman’s favorite sources of inspiration is her greenhouse where she cultivates exotic orchids.
Her works are in several prominent collections.

Exhibitions in Major Collections

The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art , Kansas City, Missouri
The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Philadelphia, PA
The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, IL
The Instituto Norte Americano Mexicano de Relationes Culturales, Mexico City, Mexico

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Interestingly, Hoffman's  work seems to have some similarity to Quirk’s in both subject matter and technique. We have provided some paintings in close juxtaposition for your consideration. It appears that Hoffman has technically matched her one-time teacher.

Allison- Portrait By Helen Hoffman

Morning News- Portrait By Helen Hoffman

Portrait by Francis Quirk

Pas de Deux by Helen Hoffman

Ibises by Francis J. Quirk

Artwork By Helen Hoffman

Shrimper by Francis Quirk  Image Courtesy of Canton Museum of Art

Breaking Wave- Portrait By Helen Hoffman

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

 Haying by Helen Hoffman

Painting possibly by Francis Quirk