Peter de Francia

Peter Laurent de Francia (25 January 1921 – 19 January 2012) was a French-born British artist, who served as Professor of Painting at the Royal College of Art (RCA), London, from 1972 to 1986. He was the author of two books on Fernand Léger: Leger: The Great Parade (Painters on Painting) (1969) and Fernand Léger (1983).

Biography

De Francia was born in Beaulieu-sur-Mer Alpes Maritimes, France. He was educated at the Academy of Brussels (1938–40) and between 1945 and 1948 attended the Slade School, University of London.

He worked from 1949 to 1950 at the Canadian Government Exhibition Commission in Ottawa, and subsequently in the Architects' Department, American Museum, New York City (1950–51). From 1953 to 1968 he was a tutor in the Department of Art History and Complementary Studies at St Martin's School of Art, London (1953–68), and from 1963 to 1969 also tutored in the Department of Art History and Complementary Studies at the Royal College of Art (RCA). He was Principal of the Department of Fine Art, Goldsmiths' College, University of London (1969–72), and from 1972 to 1986 was Professor of Painting at the RCA.

Selected solo exhibitions

• 2011 - Peter de Francia. Paintings: A 90th Birthday Retrospective, James Hyman Gallery, London
• 2009 - Peter de Francia. Art World Drawings, James Hyman Gallery, London
• 2008 - Peter de Francia: A Sideways Glance, Charleston
  • Modern Myths, New York Studio School (catalogue), New York
• 2007-08 - The Ship of Fools: Peter de Francia in Focus, Pallant House, Chichester
• 2006 - Peter de Francia, Tate Britain (brochure, interview by Philip Dodd), London
• 2005 - After the Bombing, James Hyman Gallery, London
• 2004 - Drawings, The Gallery, Wimbledon School of Art, London
• 2002 - Peter de Francia: Fables and Other Drawings: 1990-2001, Queen's Gallery, British Council, New Delhi, India
• 1999 - Peter de Francia: Drawings, Ruskin School, Oxford
  • Peter de Francia: Ballets Africains: Drawings, The Place, London
• 1996 - Peter de Francia: Drawings 1993-96, Austin/Desmond Fine Art, London
• 1995 - Peter de Francia, Gloria Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus
• 1991 - Peter de Francia, Centre for Contemporary Art, New Delhi, India
• 1987 - Peter de Francia: Paintings and drawings, Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield
• 1989 - Peter de Francia: Untitled, Frith Street Gallery, London
• 1990 - Peter de Francia, Pomeroy Purdy Gallery, London
• 1987 - Peter de Francia: Retrospective, Camden Arts Centre, London
• 1983 - Peter de Francia, Forum Gallery, New York
• 1980 - Peter de Francia, New Art Centre, London
• 1978 - Peter de Francia, Gallery of the Institute of Cultural Relations, Budapest, Hungary
• 1977 - Peter de Francia: Retrospective, Camden Arts Centre, London & New 57 Gallery, Edinburgh
• 1976 - Peter de Francia, New Art Centre, London
• 1969 - Peter de Francia, New 57 Gallery, Edinburgh
• 1962 - Peter de Francia, Forum Gallery, New York
• 1962 - Peter de Francia, Gallery of the Union of Czech Writers, Prague
• 1961 - Peter de Francia, Galerie d'Eendt, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 1959 - Peter de Francia, Colonna Gallery, Milan, Italy
• 1958 - Peter de Francia, Waddington Galleries, London (catalogue)
  • Peter de Francia, Colonna Gallery, Milan, Italy.

Selected publications

• Impressionism, Methuen & Co., 1956.
• The Great Parade (Painters on Painting). Worthing: Little Hampton Book Services Ltd, 1969. 32 pp. ISBN 0304932779.
• Fernand Léger, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1983. 288 pp. ISBN 0300030673.
• Peter de Francia: Fables, Maruts Press, 2002.
• Peter de Francia Portraits, James Hyman Fine Art, 2006.