Searching for Home: Works by Pierre Daura

My name is Eric Ward, I am a junior in the class of 2026 at Washington and Lee University studying American History and French. This summer, I had the opportunity to conduct summer research for the Museums at Washington and Lee. As a part of my work, I researched various artists whose works are in the Museums’ collection. One such artist was Catalan painter, illustrator, and sculptor Pierre Daura. Of all the artists I researched, Daura stood out not just because of his fascinating life story, but also because of his connections to Rockbridge County, Virginia. 

In the Museums' collections are 93 works created by Daura, the vast majority of which were donated by his daughter, Martha.  

Throughout Daura’s life, the artist’s sense of identity evolved and adapted. Stripped of his Spanish citizenship, Daura spent much of his career creating new senses of belonging, reflected in his many depictions of land and cityscapes. In this exhibition, several of Daura’s work have been selected to tell the story of his life while demonstrating how his identity was morphed and reborn.