Pierre Daura, “Portrait of a Woman [Femme . . . ],” ca. 1928. Oil on canvas, 29 × 23 5/8 inches. Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Museum purchase with funds provided by the Daura Foundation. GMOA 2022.267.
t he museum recently purchased this stunning portrait by Pierre Daura that depicts a yet to be identified young woman sitting on a chair and holding a book. The picture made quite the impression when it was recently on sale in Paris, going so far as to cause a bidding war during the auction. We are very grateful to have been able to acquire this canvas thanks to the funds provided by the Daura Foundation. The verso of the painting presents a partially legible inscription, “Femme au. . . ” (woman with) and the artist’s signature. We can only speculate, at this point, how the artist wished to describe his sitter, but the upcoming restoration of the painting might uncover more elements and help us identify her. Investigative work driven by Martha Daura, the artist’s daughter, has revealed that the book on the woman’s lap, titled “Gauguin,” was written by Roger Rey in 1924 and published in Paris. This clue tells us that Daura made the painting in or after 1924, and possibly later based on stylistic grounds. Martha donated a copy of Rey’s publication to the museum, and we look forward to exhibiting the portrait alongside the book soon.
Nelda Damiano, Pierre Daura Curator of European Art
The back of the painting
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