Francis Quirk Brings Roy Lichtenstein's George Washington to Lehigh

Each year Quirk organized an exhibition of Contemporary American Painting at Lehigh and worked with 4-5 East Coast galleries to provide paintings for display. The works were for sale and usually a favorite was selected for purchase with funds provided by the exhibition alumni supporter Ralph Wilson and his wife.  (You can learn more about Ralph Wilson here.) 

In the 11th Annual Exhibition of Contemporary American Painting in 1964 was a painting by Roy Lichtenstein. The work "George Washington" was on loan from the Mi Chou Gallery who had acquired some of Roy's work from the Leo Castelli Gallery. Mi Chou generated some notoriety for itself and Roy through an exhibition of Lichtenstein's works interspersed among Hudson River School paintings. 

George Washington, 1962 Roy Lichtenstein Private Collection

The painting is sizable, measuring 51 by 38 inches and presages Lichtenstein's more mature style in two notable ways.  First, the content is of a prominent image that of our respected first president who graces our one-dollar bill. But it is not just a copy of the original Gilbert Stuart portrait, instead it is a copy of a woodcut of that portrait found in a Hungarian national newspaper.  Already, he was reaching into published graphics for inspiration. Second, it uses some classic Lichtenstein techniques- Ben-Day dots on the face and background along with graphic brush strokes on the right side of the face and collar. This is the infancy of the artist's signature graphic style.

George Washington, 1962 Roy Lichtenstein Private Collection    Close up of eye forehead and hair

In the close-up one can see the red Benday dots in the forehead, the black Benday dots adding gradients of shadow in the background, the brushstroke effect of the shading on the forehead, and the solid lines to delineate the locks of hair. The elements of Lichtenstein's mature style are all here. 

There is an interesting blog post, which hypothesizes that this painting contains elements of a self-portrait. The writer theorizes that Mr. Lichtenstein is fusing the image of the revered leader with himself saying.

The president's face, as so often in portraits of iconic figures, has been fused with the artist's.¹ Lichtenstein presents himself as an American icon. "I have always had this interest in purely American subject matter", he once said. And later: "I had a feeling about official painting...I still do. It's their reliance on great subjects for their force that interests me.."² 

The blogger then provides the following image. 

Is this a strong similarity? That is for the reader to decide. But we have found another Lichtenstein self-portrait that makes his case even stronger.  In our research we found a Lichtenstein self-portrait from 1951-52.

Self Portrait 1951-2,  Roy Lichtenstein

When we add in a close-up of the face from the 1951-2 self-portrait, the bloggers observation seems to have more substance. But is it a similar face or a similar style? 

George Washington (close-up) Photo of Roy Self Portrait 1951-2 (Close-up)

It is worth noting that Lichtenstein had earlier mined the George Washington idea with a painting of him crossing the Delaware.  We leave that digression out as already we have wandered a bit far from Lehigh and Francis Quirk's exhibition. 

Somehow, Lichtenstein's painting went unpurchased, nor did the school select it for addition to the Lehigh University Art Gallery collection. It was listed for sale as painting number 8 at the respectable sum of $500, which was towards the low end of the range of prices. 

Translating the 1964 $500 price into 2023 dollars factoring in inflation that price would be equivalent to $5000 today.  But the market value for a Lichtenstein such as this would be in the range of $30-$40 million today. 

Kiss III 1962,  Roy Lichtenstein

For comparison, in 2019, Kiss III sold for $31.1 million at Christies in New York. Alas, Francis Quirk and Mr. Wilson missed the Pop Art boat.  Later the Lehigh University Art Galleries would acquire a Lichtenstein print and display it prominently on a catalog cover for a print exhibition.

Finally, Lichtenstein executed another self-portrait in 1976. We show it below. 

Self Portrait   1976,  Roy Lichtenstein

Beautiful Quirk Watercolor "The Poppy Field" to be Auctioned July 27th at Eldred's in East Dennis, Mass

A fresh watercolor painting of the French countryside will be auctioned on July 27th in East Dennis Mass. 

"The Poppy Field" by Francis Quirk

Quirk was adept with oils, pastels and watercolors and this painting illustrates his mastery of that medium with lovely color and delicate draftsmanship.  We suspect it is a location in France, but that is merely a suspicion based upon the village church and flowered fields. We have no knowledge of him traveling and painting in France. However, our knowledge of him is not complete. 

You can reach Eldrid's and the lot listing here on the online catalogue. 

Close up of Quirk Signature on "The Poppy Field"

Jesus Painting and a Silhouette of a Young Girl by Francis Quirk

Through the Francis Quirk Facebook page we have received word of a painting of Jesus by Francis Quirk. The owner graciously provided photographs of it and a close up of the signature from 1962. It is typical of his work with a three quarter frontal view. The signature is a solid match. 

Earlier we had posted a bit about his work related to the Christian Faith and a portrait sketch of a religious figure.

A Portrait of Jesus by Francis Quirk

Portrait of Jesus Close-up of Francis J. Quirk Signature

On EBay we found this undated silhouette by Francis Quirk. The piece is undated and it may be from his days at Ogontz College when he provided images of students as prizes. 

Beautiful Stanley Woodward Painting of the Red Barn and Farm Coming to Auction

We had previously posted about Stanley Woodward and his relationship with Francis Quirk. You can see the post here. 

Stark was a talented artist and a kindred spirit to Quirk. Perhaps it was that they both painted Maine and nautical scenes. 

We have found Stark's fixation on a red house barn complex fascinating. He appears to have painted it many times from different angles and in different season.  And when we saw this painting coming up for auction, we felt it warranted another post for two reasons. First, it is a fine painting of considerable beauty. And second, it features his "motif number one."  The painting below is titled "Shadowed Past".

Stanley Woodward "Shadowed Past," 20TH CENTURY, oil on canvas, signed L/R; 25'' x 30''

STANLEY WOODWARD (American 1890-1970) , "Shadowed Past," 20TH CENTURY, oil on canvas, signed framed 33 3/4'' x 38 1/2''

STANLEY WOODWARD Signature

What makes this painting work?

There is a great deal going on in this painting, so there is much to discuss. Our eyes are naturally drawn to white spaces. Thus, when this painting is first viewed the eye is drawn to the vertical white trim board in the center. This lightness pulls forward and gives the house a 3-D affect pulling that end of the main house tout of the canvas and toward the viewer like the prow of a ship.

Diagonals in "Shadowed Past"

Since, the composition is like a series of diagonal lines pointing to the left our eye is taken that direction to the tree. It then follows up the tree and out its branch delivering us back again to the center of the painting. 

There is a lot of subtle technique in this painting. Imagine how it would look without the chimneys, the dark green patch in the lower left or the overhanging branches.

The softer color palate is striking with softer reds in the house, yellowish greens in the fauna and even some pale oranges. The tree branches and their shadows add interest to the farm house; forcing the viewer to spend time discerning its nuances. 

All of this activity is well executed in a painterly plein air fashion, but with a steady hand where it matters. 

You can bid on the painting in person in Houston on May 20 at Simpson Galleries or you can bid online through Liveauctioneers. Somebody is going to walk away with a lovely work of art.

Francis Quirk Drawing of Religious Figure to be Auctioned

Echoes Antiques and Auction Gallery in Seaford, New York will soon be auctioning a 1971 drawing that is listed as being of Pope John Paul I on May 24, 2022. 

The drawing appears to be in pencil, charcoal or crayon and illustrates a religious figure interacting with a female. The drawing encompasses the heads of the two individuals focusing on the left figure shown in profile and the right female figure shown from slightly behind profile.  Because she is drawn in a lighter hand and from behind the focus shifts to the religious silhouette that is outlined with a heavy line. 

An important aspect of the drawing is actually undrawn. And it is the line of eye contact between the two individuals. They are clearly engaged, and the invisible sight line crosses the plane of the left figure's silhouette at a right angle giving it a sense of 'directness' or connection. 

1971 Drawing by Francis Quirk

The description lists the drawing as being of Pope John Paul I, but this attribution is questionable for three reasons. First John Paul I did not become Pope until 1978, well after Quirk's death in 1974. While it is possible the image could be of John Paul I before he became pope, this is unlikely given the next two reasons. The figure does not look like John Paul I as he had larger ears and a more hawkish nose. And third John Paul I frequently wore glasses in his later years. 

Pope John Paul I

This begs the question as to the identity of the religious figure, but alas, our research has not been able to solve that question. There was no other papal visit to the US in 1971 and we are unaware if Quirk traveled overseas at this time. We also executed a brief and fruitless search of the owner of the drawing according to the label on the reverse, Margaret M. DuBois.  

The close up of the signature appears to be that of Quirk executed in pen. Looking at it closely, one can almost see a pencil signature below the ink or it may be a reflection from the frame glass. There also has been some toning of the drawing paper where it touches the matting.

The label on the back lists Margaret M.(?) DuBois as the owner.
It was framed in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Mel Stark Painting to Auction

Earlier we had written a post about Mel Stark centered around his exhibition at Lehigh. Through Live Auctioneers, we learned that a painting of his is coming up for auction on January 22, 2022.  Winter Brook is an oil on canvas that is unsigned, but carries a statement from his daughter. The auctioneers estimate is $1700-$2200 from Florida's Broward Auction Gallery. 

Winter Brook by Mel Stark

Winter Brook by Mel Stark (unframed)

Interestingly, the catalog bio with the painting was quite enlightening. We share it here in its entirety as it provides a bit more insight into Mr. Stark as a person that goes beyond our initial post. 

BIOGRAPHY:

A leading figure in eastern Pennsylvania, Mel Stark was a plein-air painter and teacher who, with his good friend, Walter Baum, was devoted to enriching the cultural life of the Allentown area. He was also a key painter at the artists colony in Rockport, Massachusetts and in his later years, painted at Longboat Key Art Center in Florida. He taught at the Kline-Baum Art School, and Cedar Crest and Muhlenberg Colleges in Allentown, and was committed to the tradition of impressionist landscape painting. However, his reputation waned in the 1960s, when the public lost interest in impressionism and focused more on modernist movements. He was born in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and earned a degree from Stroudsburg State College in Physical Education, but he had already started painting and subsequently abandoned Physical Education. He later studied art at the University of Pennsylvania, Syracuse University, and the Philadelphia Museum School. Major influences on him were landscape painters Cullen Yates, Walter Baum, and Anthony Thieme. He studied privately with Yates in New York, and Yates encouraged Stark to go to Paris, which he did but hung around the cafes with artists rather than attending any academy. In 1926, he returned to Allentown and worked for several years as a physical education teacher, but then came into contact with Baum with whom he studied art and then ended up being a teacher at the Baum School of Art. He married Ann Gomery with whom he had two children, and they moved into a farmhouse in Zionsville near Allentown. In addition to having an art career, he was an active promoter of the Allentown Art Museum, which he served as both trustee and director.

Benton Spruance, Schilli Maier and Gerorge Harding Exhibit at Lehigh University Art Gallery

 

Quirk’s 1959 major exhibition at Lehigh included works by George Harding, Schilli Maier and Benton Spruance. Earlier we had written about Harding in a post about benefactor Philip Berman’s donation of a Harding painting. (See Harding Berman post here.) This post will focus on Benton Spruance.

Benton Spruance "The Artist as Model" Self Portrait Lithograph

Spruance was born in Philadelphia in 1904 and was educated in local schools.  He studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Graphic Sketch Club.

In both his junior and his senior year at the Academy, he won the William Emlen Cresson Travelling Scholarship, which enabled him to go to France in 1928.  In Paris he studied lithography at the studio of Jacques and Edmond Desjobert.  That same year, he married Winnifred Glover, a source of strength and inspiration throughout his life.

In the 1920’s and 1930’s, when Spruance was on the threshold of his career in art, the preferred medium in print making was etching.  Very small gemlike prints in very large cream colored mats were the fashion, and they appeared frequently on the walls of collectors. 

Benton Spruance, concentrated on lithographs and experimented to develop new techniques that pioneered the use of color.

His gifts as an artist were well-recognized.  His paintings were exhibited widely, and his prize winning prints were shown in New York and other cities.  He also received commissions to paint murals and to illustrate books.

Throughout his career he received many honors, including the Philadelphia Art Alliance Medal of Achievement, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1950, and election to membership in the National Academy of Design and in the American Institute of Architects. In 1959, he would be part of a three man show organized by Francis Quirk at Lehigh University that displayed 46 of his lithographs.

Arrangement for Drums 1941 by Benton Spruance

Memorial 1951 by Benton Spruance

Soliloquay 1941 by Benton Spruance

In 1965 he began a set of prints that are generally regarded as his most masterful works.  These are the twenty six lithographs based on his reading of Moby Dick.  The prints were exhibited for the very first time in 1968.

Spruance was an active participant in the Philadelphia arts community. He was a founder of the Philadelphia chapter of Artists Equity, which helped to give to the individual artist a strong voice in community affairs.  The city of Philadelphia is indebted to Spruance for much of its “public” art, the sculptures in open spaces and works in public buildings, for after his appointment to the Philadelphia Art Commission in 1953, he was instrumental in securing the approval by the city council of an ordinance requiring one percent of the cost of public buildings to be allocated for works of art.

Spruance’s natural gifts as a teacher and administrator were signaled by awards, several honorary degrees, and appointments to administrative positions at various institutions of learning in the Philadelphia area.  Teaching, quite apart from its practical aspects, was to him an important function of the artist, and he brought to this profession a keen understanding of the learning process and a will to share his knowledge in as creative a manner as possible.

Along with his colleagues Jerome Kaplan and Samuel Maitin, he helped establish Prints in Progress, a program designed to bring printmaking directly to the young people of Philadelphia’s public schools through demonstrations in which they could participate.  Conceived by Walter L. Wolf, the program was then under the auspices of the Philadelphia Print Club.

Spruance died in December 1967.

A terrific web-site on Benton Spruance can be found here.