The following information courtesy of Darcy L. Evon:
Charles Percy Davis was an accomplished painter, illustrator, teacher, crafts worker, and silversmith who worked and taught in St. Louis, Missouri for much of his professional life. Born in Iowa City, Iowa in December 1858, to Walter and Marie Davis, Charles shied from the family apothecary and pursued his passion for painting. He studied in New York at the National Academy of Design and under William Chase and in Paris at the Julian Academy under Bouguereau, Fleury and Ferrier. By the turn of the century, he had exhibited in Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Cleveland. In 1904, he was a member of Jury of Selection for the St. Louis World’s Fair and also served on the Jury of Awards for Applied Arts. He designed and executed works in metal and his silver repousse was represented in the St. Louis Museum of Fine Arts collection by 1905. For many years Davis taught drawing and composition at St. Louis School of Fine Arts (later as a part of Washington University), where he also maintained a studio. He was a member of the Boston Society of Arts and Crafts, according to Falk. In summers, Davis would return to live with his family in Iowa City, IA. In 1906, he married for the first time at the age of 48. Additional information may be available at the St. Louis Public Library. |