Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002)

Very thick application of paint within figure. Overall chips and loss of paint in background along left shoulder and along right of face as visible in catalogue description. Painting appears to have been recently cleaned and varnished. Overall very good condition. Colours slightly brighter than in catalogue illustration.
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'Francis Newton's paintings, perturbing and bewildering to many reveal nevertheless the talent of a strong willed and imaginative artist...he confesses to the fascination of church music and stained glass windows.  The total effect of this exhibition with its turbulence of colour, is exciting and soothing at the same time.'  (Rudi von Leyden, The Times of India, 30 November, 1948).

Souza's work is often evaluated within the context of his Indian contemporaries, namely the Progressives, of which he was a founding member.  While it is important to recognize the group's shared passion, it is less clear to assess the level of inspiration that Souza derived from his Indian contemporaries' work. Furthermore shortly after his arrival in London in 1949 it is apparent that his inspiration becomes increasingly diverse.  John Berger states, 'How much Souza's pictures derive from western art and how much from the hieratic temple traditions of his country, I cannot say. Analysis breaks down and intuition takes over. It is obvious that he is a superb designer and an excellent draughtsman.  But I find it quite impossible to assess his work comparatively.  Because he straddles several traditions but serves none.' (John Berger, New Statesman, 1955).

The format used by Souza in this work is one that he used repeatedly, that of a head and torso painted on a plain background.  Such a composition draws from religious iconography, a format that was adopted by Renaissance artists such as Titian, whose works Souza would have seen first hand at the National Gallery in London.  However, although the influence of Byzantine painting and the Old Masters are evident, the finished painting is completed in Souza's own unique style. As Edwin Mullins has noted, the strong black outlines that enclose vibrant colors are reminiscent of Rouault's work and like Rouault they are influenced by the startling luminosity of stained glass, which in this instance adds to the covertly religious sentiment of the painting.

'The importance of Francis Newton Souza the young Goan painter who has settled in London is that he has resolved the dilemma of style as no other modern Indian artist has done. He has crossed Indian bazaar painting with the Picasso style ...to produce a manner that is at once individual and consistent and which might be said to suggest a caricature of a Byzantine icon.' (D. Sylvester, "A Goan Painter," New Statesman, December 14, 1957).