Jo Davidson described himself as being “infected with the Spanish fever” at the height of the Spanish Civil War in 1938 and decided to travel to Barcelona as a correspondent for the Chicago Daily News. There he depicted some of the “outstanding personalities” of the Spanish loyalists. Infused with the dramatic heroism of the moment, the portraits represent some of Davidson’s strongest work, which was viewed by one critic as “replete with the quickness of life . . .touched with a beauty of handling almost impalpable yet transforming.” Davidson’s busts evoke a time when artists were actively engaged in political and social issues, making them a powerful presence in American society.