Catalonia and Beginnings

Mora de Ebro, 1929; Watercolor; Gift of Martha Daura, U2006.12.17

Pierre Daura was born in Menorca, Spain in 1896 and grew up in Barcelona in Spain's Catalonia region. Catalonia, located in northeastern Spain, has a unique language and cultural identity from the rest of the country, with varying levels of regional autonomy throughout its history.

While Catalonia had long been distinct from the rest of Spain, the region experienced a renewed sense of nationalism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Just as industrialization helped spur nationalist movements throughout much of Europe, Catalonia's industrialization assisted in reviving a sense of national consciousness. Catalonia's modernization also helped to distinguish it from much of the rest of Spain, which had been relatively slow to industrialize. 

It was in this context that Pierre Daura grew up and came to understand his homeland, developing a strong connection to his Catalonian heritage. Although Daura left Spain to pursue his artistic career in Paris, he maintained strong ties with the region. In this depiction of the Catalonian countryside from early in Daura's career, the artist demonstrates his personal relationship with landscapes and an expression of belonging.