Damián Carlos Bayón (1915–95) was an art critic, teacher and author of numerous books. He held a Ph.D in history and was a disciple of Jorge Romero Brest (1905-89); in 1948, he became one of the founders of the magazine Ver y estimar, for which Brest served as editor. The following year, Bayón moved to Paris, and continued to collaborate on the magazine until 1955 (the final year of its publication). He then began working with theoretician Pierre Francastel. In the next two decades, he became professor in the University of Texas at Austin. Ver y estimar had two publication eras: the first encompassed its first thirty-four issues, published between 1948 and 1953; the second stage, between 1954 and 1955, consisted of ten issues. This publication was meant to be educational with regard to art criticism, for its readers and for the students of Romero Brest who collaborated on the magazine. Its articles dealt with artists, exhibitions and problems within the local milieu and international scene contexts, as well as with different historical periods. This article focuses on the book of German art historian Wilhem Wörringer (1881-1965) that was translated into English by Sir Herbert Read (1957). It permits us to observe, on one hand, the diversity of topics that Ver y estimar dealt with. In this case, the dissemination of a bibliography (more or less recent) of international art in general, while also exercising a critical stance instead of merely confining itself to reviews. On the other hand, this critical stance allows us to reconstruct the underlying conceptual premises in Bayón’s writings during these years, which were influenced by his close relationship with Romero Brest.
