Among Durra’s drawings, there is a portrait for Durra’s first teacher George Allief (also known as "George Aleef). Durra shared the story behind this portrait with artmejo: "When I returned home from Rome, George Aleef, who was my teacher before my departure and who had taught me the scholastic method, the classic lessons about art, he was afraid that I had become so modern in throwing colours on the canvas that he came to my studio and he was almost angry! But then he sat on a chair and I painted him while he was talking, and after he saw portrait I had done of him he forgave me and pardoned me and he said to me “in spite of the fact that you betrayed my teaching, you still have something, a gift".