Alan Davie
(1920-2014), Painter, poet, jazz musician, silversmith and jewellerSitter in 5 portraits
Alan Davie trained as a painter at Edinburgh College of Art. He explored a diverse range of activities, however, before returning to painting: from 1949 to 1953 he earned his living by making jewellery and in 1947 he worked as a jazz musician, an activity he continued in later life. He wrote poetry during the early 1940s. From 1953 to 1956 Davie taught in London at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. In 1971 he made his first visit to the island of St Lucia, where he began to spend half of each year and which brought Caribbean influences and imagery to bear on his work.
by Ida Kar
vintage bromide print, 1959
NPG P425
by Ida Kar
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1959
NPG x134683
by Ida Kar
vintage bromide print, 1959
NPG x88931
by Norman McBeath
bromide fibre print, 2005
NPG x128271
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.