Francis Quirk at the Woodmere Art Museum

Woodmere Art Museum

Francis Quirk was affiliated with a number of prominent institutions throughout his career and we have profiled several of them.  One biography listed Quirk as a member at Woodmere.  Recently, we had the distinct pleasure of visiting the Woodmere Art Museum located in the Philadelphia suburb of Chestnut Hill. Beside the Barnes Foundation, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, there are many worthwhile places to visit in and around the City of Brotherly Love.

Painting of Charles Knox Smith Founder of Woodmere Art Museum

The Woodmere Art Museum was established by Charles Knox Smith, a successful oil and mining business man in 1940. He built a special wing in his house to display his art collection. Today the Museum continues with a core collection on display and rotating exhibits. They recently added a lovely and noteworthy sculpture Free Interpretation of Plant Forms,a fountain designed by Harry Bertoia that was most recently in storage. It once graced the entrance of the Philadelphia Convention Center. Having seen it there many years ago sandwiched by the entrance in a sea of concrete, I can firmly attest that the current location on the Museum grounds is far superior; allowing the work to be enjoyed in a most pleasing environment.

Bertoia Fountain Sculpture "Free Interpretation of Plant Forms" During installation

In the core collection are two particular paintings of note.  The first, Morning in the Kaaterskill by Edmund Darch Lewis depicts the famously beautiful New York waterfall. The Catskills attraction is reputed to be a showstopper and is now on my agenda to visit on a lovely spring day when the leaves are popping and the water is flowing at high volume. Or perhaps on a hot Summer evening when we can enjoy a swim at the bottom pool.

Morning in the Kaaterskill by Edmund Darch Lewis  Woodmere Art Museum

The second is Jasper Francis Cropsey’s Spirit of Peace, which was executed after the Civil War. The famous Hudson River School artist wonderfully executed this placid scene.

Jasper Francis Cropsey’s Spirit of Peace Woodmere Art Museum

When we reached out to the Museum they could provide us with no further information on Quirk. But perhaps over time additional information will surface as Quirk was once one of the most prominent artists in Eastern Pennsylvania. He also was active in the area when Knox was still alive so there may be some connection waiting to be unearthed in the archives. 

Quirk and Cubism

Francis Quirk was a master of many different media; oils, pastels, charcoal,water colors and pencil. He also could paint in different styles beside the realism that he is well known for. Below are a few images in the cubist style. The two paintings below were auctioned in Maine in the September 2016. The boy has a Western flavor to it, so it may have been executed while in Prescott, Arizona.

Quirk Painting of Boy in the Cubist Style

Quirk Painting of Girl and Dog in the Cubist Style

While we cannot confirm that the painting of the baseball player is by Francis Quirk as we were not able to enlarge it enough to see his signature, The dimensions and style certainly indicate that it is handiwork.

Francis Quirk discussing a painting with wife Anna(?) and another gentlemen. Photo Courtesy of Lehigh University Library Archives 

We have since learned that the two portraits are of Quirk's children and dogs.  We also have obtained better images of the portrait of daughter Ada-Lee.

Close-up of cubist image of Ada-Lee Quirk by Francis J. Quirk

Francis Quirk's Art Documents the Pennsylvania Coal Mines

Among the Quirk works on paper auctioned at the September 2016, Maine auction were a couple of well executed charcoal drawings of coal miners. They may have been illustrations to accompany a short story or novel. One attractive feature of the drawings is that they both convey a scene. The first may be of a miner avoiding potential hostile co-workers.

Charcoal Drawing Leaving the Coal Mine by Francis Quirk

Charcoal Sketch of the group of miners on the back of Leaving the Coal Mine by Francis Quirk

The second image could illustrate the moment when the miners hear an alarm siren. They are looking up from their tasks without the look of relief or joy that would accompany a quitting time signal. Instead they seem taught and concerned. Perhaps they are hearing the rumblings of a cave in?

Charcoal Drawing of Miners by Francis J. Quirk

Francis Quirk’s Anatomical Drawings at the Rhode Island School of Design

In addition to being adept at working in oil, pastel and watercolor; Francis Quirk had a skillful hand for pencil drawing.  Among the works on paper at the Maine sale of items from his estate were a number of pencil drawings. These may have been executed while he was studying at the Rhode Island School of Design from which he graduated in 1929.

We have pasted in images of the works below. Among the more interesting pieces was the one which highlights the muscle groups and anatomy. 

Anatomical Drawing Executed by Francis J. Quirk possibly at the Rhode Island School of Design

Anatomical Drawing Executed by Francis J. Quirk possibly at the Rhode Island School of Design

Anatomical Drawing Executed by Francis J. Quirk possibly at the Rhode Island School of Design

Anatomical Drawing Executed by Francis J. Quirk possibly at the Rhode Island School of Design

Anatomical Drawing Executed by Francis J. Quirk possibly at the Rhode Island School of Design

Anatomical Drawing Executed by Francis J. Quirk possibly at the Rhode Island School of Design

Anatomical Drawing Executed by Francis J. Quirk possibly at the Rhode Island School of Design

Anatomical Drawing Executed by Francis J. Quirk possibly at the Rhode Island School of Design

Anatomical Drawing Executed by Francis J. Quirk possibly at the Rhode Island School of Design

Francis Quirk Exhibits at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

We had the opportunity to closely examine the painting below which was offered for sale at the September Maine auction of items from the Quirk estate. 

Portrait exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts by Francis J. Quirk

We believe it depicts Francis and his wife Anna attending some type of event. We suspect it was a wedding,concert or reading of some type as both are holding leaflets or programs. Like many portraits it features the two decked out in their finest clothes. Anna rests on a coat with a fur collar wearing a silk blouse, stylish hat, and fine shoes. Francis wears a blue suit in a shade close to Anna’s dress. dress. The painting signature is dated 1940 when Quirk would have been 33 years old. 

Signature of Francis J. Quirk 1940

In examining the reverse of the painting we noticed two interesting labels.  The first is an exhibition label from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the first and oldest art museum and art school in the United States. The academy's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th- and 20th-century American paintings, sculptures, and works on paper. Its archives house important materials for the study of American art history, museums, and art training. The famous Philadelphia painter Thomas Eakins volunteered there as a teacher. 

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition Label on Francis Quirk painting

 In checking the Academy website, we found this exhibition that matches the dates on the label.    

Oil Painting and Sculpture by Artists of Philadelphia and Its Environs
April 13 - May 12, 1940 

We are in the process of seeking out images from the catalog.

There also was  a restoration label. from Hiram H. Hoelzer, Inc.  The company is an art restoration company that was most recently located in Greenwich, Connecticut, but may no longer be active.  The back of the painting showed no obvious tears or repairs so we are curious as to the tie with this painting. 

Label on back of Francis Quirk painting  Hiram H. Hoelzer Inc.  Restorer of Paintings

Francis Quirk Draws the War

Francis Quirk lived through an exciting era in our history. Born in 1907, he saw World War I, the Great Depression and then World War II. We have found no particular record of his activity in WWII. He would have been around 34 at its outbreak.

He was not untouched by the conflict as the recent auction of a large number of his works include several ink drawings of soldiers. One is signed '42, so they were executed when the fighting was heavy.

Francis Quirk ink drawing of World War II Soldiers

These are the only pen and ink drawings we have found by Quirk. In addition to the ink lines, he also used some type of wash for shadows and adding value. This may indicate that he used the medium for a particular purpose; perhaps as part of developing an illustration. At this time we can only pontificate and ponder the possibilities.

Francis Quirk ink drawing of World War II Soldiers Advancing

Francis Quirk ink drawing of World War II Soldiers with Communications Man

Francis J. Quirk Signature

Francis Quirk and Maine's Lumber Industry

In his time in Maine, Quirk painted many classic scenes including seacoasts, buildings, and people. But two watercolors capture the lumber industry nicely. The first is of a lumberjack posing with his double edged axe featuring prominently as the owner stands with one foot on a tree section beside a broken tree. The double edged axe is a tool for the professional, or more demanding user with better balance. The edges usually are ground differently for different purposes such as chopping and splitting. The lumberjack wears the classic red hunting hat, work clothes and heavy boots that would provide some protection of an errant bounce of the axe head.  

Lumberjack Painting by Francis Quirk

Perhaps this painting symbolizes the mastery of the lumberjack over the fauna or his role in culling the woods of the weak and dead like the grim reaper of people. Both carry an implement for cutting things down and bring the end of life. But the lumberjack is wearing white.

The Grim Reaper

Francis J. Quirk signature on Lumberjack Watercolor

The second painting is of a lumber mill. With its depiction of the giant blades and toothy log-moving equipment, one can sense the power and danger of these mills. One careless move and a limb or life could be lost. 

Lumber Mill watercolor by Francis Quirk

These were the only two lumber related works we have found to date. There are other works of people active in the boat-building and fishing trades.