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Painter Pierre Daura was born in Spain and studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Barcelona under Pablo Picasso's father, José Ruiz y Blasco. In the 1920s, Daura exhibited frequently with the group Agrupació d'Artistes Catalans in Barcelona. He served in the military from 1917 to 1920. Three years later, he suffered an injury to his left hand while working, which made it difficult to paint. Despite this setback, Daura persevered, showing his determination and passion for his work. In 1929, Daura — alongside artists Michel Seuphor and Joaquín Torres-García — was the co-organizer of Cercle et Carré, the Parisian abstract artist group featured in the current exhibition at the Schneider, "Cercle et Carré and the International Spirit of Abstract Art". This show will only be on view until August 8th, and I cannot recommend it enough. It is an exhibition that explores crucial moments in the history of art, so come check out the artwork and read the exhibition catalogue at the front desk, which gives further insight into these artists and their philosophy.
After moving to the United States, Pierre Daura's work focused on the local people he encountered and the Virginian landscape. He lived in Virginia with his wife and fellow artist and painter, Louise Blair, and their daughter, Martha, until his passing in 1976. Pierre Daura was a leader in the fine arts, a resilient and determined artist, an educator and mentor to younger artists like Cy Twombly, and a dedicated parent.
"Cercle et Carré and the International Spirit of Abstract Art" was brought to the
Schneider through the efforts of Pierre Daura's daughter, Martha Randolph Daura, the Daura Foundation, and Nelda Damiano, the Pierre Daura Curator of European Art at the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia. Through her work and that of the Foundation, Martha Daura keeps her father’s memory and legacy alive, and we at the Schneider are proud to continue that mission through the showing of "Cercle et Carré and the International Spirit of Abstract Art".
"All I have ever wanted to do is to find a way to paint. I have painted. I have worked. I have given myself to my art. That is what I have wanted since my very early age... to be an artist, good or bad... that is what I am." —Pierre Daura
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