Background
De Francia was born in Beaulieu-sur-Mer Alpes Maritimes, France.
De Francia was born in Beaulieu-sur-Mer Alpes Maritimes, France.
He was educated at the Academy of Brussels (1938-1940) and between 1945 and 1948 attended the Slade School, University of London.
He was the author of two books on Fernand Léger: Leger: The Great Parade (Painters on Painting) (1969) and Fernand Léger (1983). He worked from 1949 to 1950 at the Canadian Government Exhibition Commission in Ottawa, and subsequently in the Architects" Department, American Museum, New York (1950-1951). From 1953 to 1968 he was a tutor in the Department of Art History and Complementary Studies at Street Martin"s School of Art, London (1953-1968), and from 1963 to 1969 also tutored in the Department of Art History and Complementary Studies at the Royal College of Art (Radio Corporation of America).
He was Principal of the Department of Fine Art, Goldsmiths" College, University of London (1969-1972), and from 1972 to 1986 was Professor of Painting at the Radio Corporation of America.