Davis, Virginia Irby

About the author: Professor Davis retired from Lynchburg College in June o 1999 after 32 years of service as Professor of Art. She was the founding director of the Lynchburg College Art Gallery (later the Daura Gallery) and served in that post for 23 years.

Biography of Catalan- American Artist Pierre Daura 1896-1976 the Man and His Art

2001 0-7734-7430-7
This is the first definitive biography of Pierre Daura, covering his life and prolific creative output. Daura was born in Catalan Spain, educated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Barcelona, where he studied with Jose Ruiz Blasco, Picasso’s father. He lived in France during the 1920s and 30s, where, along with Torres-Garcia, Seuphor, Mondrian, and others, he was a founding member of the group Cercle et Carré. He became an American citizen in 1943, and lived and taught in Virginia. His work is represented in the collections of major museums in the US and abroad. Includes color and black-and-white reproductions. “Professor Davis’s biography provides a long-overdue assessment of Pierre Daura’s place in modern art and of his expanding reputation in its history. That she herself knew Daura well in the last two years of his life has greatly enhanced her authority in this undertaking, as has her ongoing and open relationship with the Daura family. . . . This biography’s inclusion of reproductions of many of Daura’s works is a particular strength . . . . From my perspective, both as a scholar and militarist, the influence of the Spanish Civil War on the arts cannot be overstated. Its role in the personal and artistic development of Pierre Daura is of particular biographical interest, of course, but it also has broader cultural implications that should expand the potential audience for Professor Davis’s study. . . .The author has a readable and inviting style that is delightfully uncharacteristic of too many scholarly biographies. It is a smart read but also a good read.” – William A. McIntosh “I was impressed by the quality of the research and by the clarity and engaging style of the writing. Further I am sure that the samples of Daura’s art chosen to illustrate the book will enhance its value for all readers. Altogether this will make a volume to be treasured by all who appreciate its subject, and it will expand the knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of readers at all levels.” – James A. Huston