Pierre Daura (1896-1976)

Pierre Daura, Catalan-American painter and sculptor, trained in Barcelona under Pablo Picasso's father. In Paris in the 1910s and 1920s, he immersed himself in modern art, exhibited frequently, and won critical acclaim. He married Richmond native Louise Blair in 1928, moved to Virginia in 1939, and lived for many years in Rockbridge Baths, where he is buried. Daura found inspiration in his family and in the landscapes of Spain, France, and the Appalachian Mountains. Museums in Europe and across the U.S. hold collections of his works. He taught at Lynchburg College and Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and was the first art teacher of Lexington native and world-renowned artist Cy Twombly.