(American, 1904 - 1993)

Charles F. Quest, painter and printmaker, was born in Troy, New York, in 1904. He studied painting and sculpture for five years at the Washington University School of Fine Arts in St. Louis, earning both his Bachelor and Master Degrees of Fine Arts. He then travelled in Europe for six months for further training. He felt that studying the work of the great masters made a lasting impression on him, and particularly mentioned the paintings of El Greco, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens and Goya. The works of the cubists, Juan Gris, Braque and Picasso also provided a strong influence.

After returning from Europe, he stayed for a few months in New York, where he visited museums and studios of artists he had met in Europe. He then returned to Washington University as a member of the faculty in 1944. His fellow faculty members included Werner Drewes, Fred Carpenter, Fred Conway, and Tonasko Milovich. Mr. Quest painted murals for churches, schools, and other public buildings. He also worked in sculpture, stone carving, mosaic and stained glass, but is best known for his paintings and prints. His work is owned by at least forty-six museums in the United States and abroad, and has been exhibited in over a hundred museums and galleries throughout the world. His best-known commissions include his mural for the Carpenter Branch Library in St. Louis (which was later destroyed) and his 1960 replica of Velasquez's "Crucifixion" for the Old Cathedral in St. Louis.

Quest spent a year in the workshop of Emil Frei, the well-known stained glass designer. He worked in, and lectured on, painting and stone carving, but gradually (around 1942) he became more interested in the graphic arts, especially wood engraving and woodcutting. His numerous exhibitions include a one-man exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution in 1951 and a second at the St. Louis City Art Museum in 1958.

In the early 1950's, Quest participated in exhibits that travelled throughout Europe that were organized by the Cultural Attache at the U.S. Embassy in Paris and another by the Boston Public Library. Mr. Quest's memberships included the Society of American Graphic Artists, the Print Club of Philadelphia, Group 15 of St. Louis, the St. Louis Artist's Guild, and the Southern Vermont Art Center.

Mr. Quest retired on June 30, 1971, and moved with his wife Dorothy, whom he wed in 1928, to Tryon, North Carolina. Dorothy, an accomplished portrait painter, and Charles continued to paint for many years. He died in 1993 and Dorothy in 1995.

Biography from Georgetown University Archival Resources Library