Featured Artists' Biographies (D)

View more information for Pierre Daret's original engraving, 'Biblical Scene'.

Pierre Daret (Paris, 1604 - Landes, 1678): A talented seventeenth century painter and engraver, Pierre Daret first studied in Paris and then completed his training in Rome. Daret began and finished his career as a portrait painter. The bulk of his working life, however, was devoted to engraving and etching. His oeuvre in these mediums consists of over four hundred plates, mostly portraits. His success in this field was surely considerable as he was commissioned to engrave the likenesses as the King of England, the Royal Family of Poland and the Pope. Pierre Daret was received into the Royal French Academy as a full member in 1663.

View more information, images and other works of art by Charles Francois Daubigny

Charles Francois Daubigny (Paris, 1817 - Anvers, 1878): As famous for his original etchings as for his paintings, Charles Daubigny holds a prime position in mid nineteenth century French art. A leading artist of the great Barbizon landscape school, Daubigny directly influenced the following generation of ist painters. At the age of nineteen Daubigny began formal art studies in the Paris studio of Paul Delaroche. His first exhibited works of art were shown at the Paris Salon in 1838 and during the following decades he obtained numerous medals and awards for both his etchings and paintings.

Daubigny regarded etching as a vital force in his art. Between 1838 and the year of his death he created more than one hundred and fifty works of art in the graphic mediums -- far more than his fellow Barbizon artists, Millet and Corot. Mainly self-taught as an etcher, Daubigny's graphic art has been actively collected for over one hundred and fifty years.

View more information, images and other works of art by Jacques E. de Seve

Jacques E. de Seve (French, fl., 1742 - 1788): Jacques E. De Seve, also listed as Jacques Eustache de Seve, was the principal artist commissioned by Georges-Louis Leclerec, Comte de Buffon to illustrate 'Histoire Naturelle, Generale Et Particuliere, avec la Description du Cabinet du Roi' (from 1749 - to 1760). He also produced illustrations for 'Encyclopedie Methodique', 1774 - 1832.

J. E. De Seve was more artist than naturalist, He was not content to simply portray his animals in a dry and factual manner. Rather, he insisted on providing full backgrounds, including classical landscapes. One writer comments, "The illustrations to Buffon's original edition are exquisitely engraved and exude aristocratic elegance and charm. Whether the animal depicted is a lion or a pig, it is shown as if in a tableau revealed to our curious gaze by the drawing aside of a curtain. The animals do not seem like wild beasts roaming free in their native woods, deserts and mountains, but like actors performing among stage props and painted scenery for the benefit of the lords of creation." It can be thus argued that no natural history artist was as influential as De Seve, and today his early and scarce etchings are avidly sought after.

View more information and larger image for 'Paris', an original etching by Andre Desligneres.

Andre Desligneres (Nevers, 1880 - Paris, 1948?): A fine early twentieth century French painter, etcher, engraver and illustrator, Andre Desligneres studied art at the Ecole Germaine Pilon. He moved to Paris around 1902 and during the following years exhibited his art there with the Salon des Artistes Francais, the Salon des Independants and the Salon d'Automne. Desligneres's paintings and etchings were also exhibited at major international expositions in Amsterdam (1914), Chicago (1930), Milan (1936) and Vienna (1946).

Desligneres was also a talented wood engraver and employed this medium to illustrate many fine books by Rolland, Roupnel, Poe, Corbiere and Colette. Today his art is included in the collections of the Musee de la Ville de Paris, the Musee du Havre and the Museum of Milan.

View more information and larger image for 'Confidence', an original lithograph by Alexander Dobkin

Alexander Dobkin (Genoa, Italy, 1908 - New York, 1975): Born in Italy, Alexander Dobkin moved to New York at an early age and studied at the City College of New York and at the Art Students League, under George Bridgeman and Jose Clemente Orozco. His first one man exhibition was held at New York's A.C.A. Gallery in 1935. He later exhibited at such major institutions as the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Corcoran Gallery and the Carnegie Institute. Dobkin also illustrated a number of fine books and taught for many years in New York at both the Educational Alliance and at the Art Students League. Today his original paintings and lithographs are included in the following collections; the Butler Art Institute, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Tel Aviv Museum, Israel, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institute.

View more information and larger image for 'Mexican Marketplace (Fishwives)', an original lithograph by Francisco Dosamantes

Francisco Dosamantes (Mexico City, 1911 - 1986): In the mid twentieth century, Francisco Dosamantes was one of Mexico's most famous creative artists. Born in 1911 in Mexico City he studied art there at the Academy of San Carlos. Dosamantes began exhibiting in group shows at the early age of seventeen and by 1932 his paintings and prints were shown throughout both Mexico and the United States. He was a full member of the Taller Grafica Popular and a founding member of the Sociedad para el Impulso de las Artes Plasticas (1948) and the Frente Nacional de Artes Plasticas (1952). Dosamantes was also influential as a teacher of art. Between 1941 and 1945 he taught at various cultural missions and in 1946 he assumed the position of Director at the Taller Artistico Joaquin Clausell, in Campeche.

The graphic art of Francisco Dosamantes is today found in major public collections in New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. His work is also found in the collections of Mexico City's two largest museums, the Palace of Fine Arts and the Galeria de Arte Mexicano.

View more information and larger image for 'Self Portrait', an original pastel drawing by Israel Doskow

Israel Doskow (Russia, 1881 - Died, Teaneck New Jersey): A painter, etcher and illustrator, Israel Doskow moved from Russia to the United States at an early age. He first studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art before completing his education at the Art Students League of New York. During his career Doskow exhibited regularly in New York, Washington, Boston and Philadelphia. He was a full member of the prestigious Salmagundi Club, New York, and of the Society of Independent Artists.

An accomplished figure and landscape artist, Israel Doskow's work was equally well received in the mediums of painting, drawing, etching and illustration. In the latter field he illustrated many fine books including, Henry Williamson's, The Phasian Bird.

View more information and larger image for 'Lucky Mashed Potatoes', an original aquatint engraving by David Fraiser Driesbach

Fraiser Driesbach (Wausau, Wisconsin, Born, 1922): For almost half a century the dream-like images of David Driesbach have both delighted and haunted our imaginations. In this vein his etchings and engravings have often been compared to such masters as Goya, Daumier, Hayter and Lasansky, but his is a unique universe drawing upon imagery of his own creation. That his creations often hit a chord in our own collective unconscious is a credit to his artistic perceptions.

Driesbach first studied art at the University of Illinois (1940-41). He then enlisted in the United States Marines and served in the South Pacific War against Japan for a period of three years. After the War he commenced his studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and at the University of Iowa. He studied engraving and etching techniques under both Mario Lasansky and Stanley William Hayter, in Paris. Driesbach's first one man show took place in 1953. Since that time his graphic art has been the subject of exhibitions at the University of Nebraska (1966), Ohio State University (1968), the Instituto Mexicana, Mexico City (1969), the University of Maryland (1979), the Chicago Center for the Print (1980) and the Museum of NIU (1990). His prints and paintings are today found in over 300 public collections, including the University of Notre Dame, the University of Illinois and Purdue University.