Opus O.149 Figure Mask No. 2

This painting demonstrates Alan DavieÂ’s growing interest in archetypal symbolism and the development of an intuitive approach to painting. It is a major landmark in his long and distinguished career. Alan Davie was appointed as the third Gregory Fellow in Painting at the University of Leeds, from 1957 to 1959. The Gregory Fellowships was a pioneering scheme aimed at creating a proactive atmosphere within the University for the understanding and dissemination of modernist ideas in the creative arts. This is the first major oil painting by Davie to enter the University's collection and Davie was previously the only painter selected as a Gregory Fellow not represented in the collection.