Original John Quidor painting has historic public unveiling July 25

QUINCY — After years of exhaustive research into the life and works of the mysterious early American painter John Quidor, best-selling author and historian Robert Turek has made a discovery that promises to send ripples through the art world and beyond.

Turek has located and acquired an original oil painting by Quidor, titled “The Water Sprite”, one of fewer than 40 known surviving works by the artist, many of which are housed in world-renowned institutions such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Quidor is best remembered for his eerie and emotive interpretations of American folklore, including Ichabod Crane Pursued by the Headless Horseman.

This newly uncovered work had been held in a private New England collection, passed down through the family of the great-great-grandson of the first governor of Maine, and most recently to a professor and art collector in Boston, where it was acquired by Turek. Remarkably, the painting had never before been publicly displayed. Now, thanks to Turek’s persistence and scholarly insight, this rare treasure will return to the public eye.

“The Water Sprite is more than a painting, it’s a piece of lost American history,” said Turek in a press release. “To reunite Quidor’s work with the community he once called home is a personal and professional triumph I could have only dreamed of when this journey began.”

Quidor briefly resided in Quincy during the 1830s, a period that remains cloaked in mystery. The timing of this discovery is especially poignant as Adams County celebrates its bicentennial, making the unveiling of this long-lost painting a profound cultural homecoming.

The painting was unveiled to the public on July 25 through Qcy From Above, a beloved Facebook group curated by Turek that shares Quincy’s rich history through images, discoveries and original research. Plans are also underway with the Historical Society to place “The Water Sprite” on public exhibition at the John Wood Mansion, offering the community a rare opportunity to experience Quidor’s hauntingly beautiful brushwork firsthand.

Robert Turek is a best-selling author, historian and lifelong Quincy resident dedicated to preserving and sharing forgotten stories of America’s past. His forthcoming book, The Mysterious John Quidor, is the most comprehensive study ever written on the elusive artist and seeks to bring Quidor’s brilliance into the recognition it long deserved.