Daura's War: Civilisation 1936
A major event in Daura's life was the Spanish Civil War. The conflict, waged from 1936-1939, pitted the Nationalist forces of General Francisco Franco against the Republican forces of the Second Spanish Republic. Catalonia, and particularly Barcelona, became a stronghold for Republican government. The government had previously granted Catalonia a degree of autonomy and were much more tolerant of the Catalonian identity than Franco's forces.
Daura, although in France, closely followed the political turmoil leading up to the war, becoming an avid supporter of the Republican fight against the rebelling Nationalists. Anxious about the prospect of a Nationalist victory, Daura returned to Spain to serve in the Republican army, finding his place as an artilleryman. During this time, Daura fought to defend his identity while also bearing witness to the horrors of war. From this experience, Daura created some of his most compelling works in Civilisation 1936, a series of four etchings to encapsulate the devastation of the conflict in Spain. As is true for many of his works, Daura used his wife, Louise, and his daughter, Martha, as subjects for many of the figures in this series.
Civilisation 1937: Bronchales Teruel Fascist Cleanup Spain, 1937-1939; Ink on Paper; Gift of Martha Daura, U2006.12.34
In this piece, Daura alludes to the Nationalists’ atrocities during the Spanish Civil War, as a vulnerable woman is shown tangled in bed sheets while two figures stand at the bottom of the bed. The man on the left’s turban may indicate that he is Moroccan, as Moroccan troops did much of the fighting for the Nationalists as part of Franco’s Army of Africa. The cross in his hand may represent the way in which Franco’s fascism often incorporated traditional religious elements which resonated with much of the Spanish population, with many Catholic leaders siding with the Nationalists. With a wife and daughter of his own, Daura was deeply affected by the war’s violence, especially towards the many innocent civilians who found themselves caught in the crossfire.
Civilisation 1937: La Culture del Odio, 1937-1939; Ink on Paper; Gift of Martha Daura, U2006.12.30
In La Cultura del Odio (The Culture of Hate), Daura similarly reflects a sense of grief and mourning for the many innocent lives lost in the conflict. In this scene, we see two figures, perhaps a mother and grandmother, mourning the loss of a child, likely killed in the War.
The title perfectly encapsulates the political and social atmosphere of Spain in the late 1930s, as family, friends, and neighbors were pitted against each other in brutal fighting. The extent of death and destruction in Spain has only just recently begun to be openly discussed within the country, and Daura's depictions provide a compelling first-hand account of the horrors of this civil war.