Admirers and scholars of George Quaintance should also direct their attention to one of his contemporaries: artist Christopher Clark. I have written about Clark before (link). His male physique work is notoriously scarce and all-but-unknown (but it is gorgeous)!
In January, an original Clark oil painting was offered at auction: a bust of a young man with the top of his shirt unbuttoned. The painting is signed and dated, "Christopher Clark Miami 1938." The canvas measures 18 by 26 inches and the frame 24 by 31.5. It is shown here with the permission of the auction house, Lion and Unicorn. The winning bid was $2400.
The auction listing provided more information about Clark. After leaving his native Florida, he studied art and theater in New York, then returned to Florida. Details of his work there, including exhibitions and prizes won, can be found in Alfred R. Frankel's, Artists of Old Florida 1840-1950, which compares his work to that of Thomas Hart Benton. The entire book can currently be downloaded free at https://artistsofoldflorida.com.
The listing goes on to say that Clark was close with automobile magnate Walter Chrysler Jr., and that he curated Chrysler's collection of old Dutch masters.
Chrysler provides a direct link to George Quaintance. Walter P. “Freddie” Chrysler Jr., was the scion of the founder of the great American automobile manufacturing company, Chrysler. Though twice married, Freddie’s homosexuality was an open secret. He and George reputedly had an intense affair. Freddie was famous for giving his boyfriends lavish gifts, and George got a 20-foot convertible — a testament to how allegedly hot he was as a lover and boon companion.
About that gift, Rev. Robert W. Wood (another of George's lovers) wrote, in a letter to Durk Dehner of the Tom of Finland Foundation, "George told me that Walter P. Chrysler Jr. had given a white 4-door Chrysler convertible to him. As you may know, at one time Chrysler Jr. was the 'belle' of Provincetown, and was known for his generosity to his boyfriends." George exulted in driving around his hometown in this convertible with his boyfriends, which proved somewhat disconcerting to the neighbors.
Glenn Bishop, a hugely popular physique model of the 1950s, provides another link between Clark and Quaintance, as they both painted him. Clark's portrait of Bishop is shown here. Quaintance's painting of Glenn Bishop is based on a photo taken by Bob Delmonteque, both model and mentor to Clark!
Clark passed away suddenly at his home in Tampa, on July 2, 1973 at the age of 70. If you know more about Clark, please write to me.
Thank you to Steven Kozlowski for providing information for this blog entry.
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