FRANCIS NEWTON SOUZA | Nude

Collection of Harold and Sidney Kovner, New York
Gifted by the above to Arline Greenburg, New York in late 1950s - early 1960s 
Thence by descent

There is a small tear on the top left corner and a horizontal crease along the bottom edge. Very minor craquelere in the thick black outlines and along the lower edge. Undulation and wrinkling in the work is inherent to the medium of paper. There is minor staining in the upper left and bottom right corners and minor specks of pigment loss in the work notably along the lower edge. This work is in a temporary frame. UV light: Minor spots of retouching along the red in the bottom edge and lower center are florescing under ultra-violet light. This work has been recently consolidated and is in good and stable condition. The colors are brighter in reality than in the catalogue illustration, especially the whites and the orange of the body.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The extraordinary voluptuousness of the female figure in Francis Newton Souza’s Nude (1956) is firmly rooted in Indian art historical tradition, with the perfectly rounded breasts and buttocks recalling and an entire history of full-bosomed erotic imagery from the Tantric to the Miniaturist. The female figures of Buddhist and Hindu temple sculpture also come to mind, particularly those of dancers carved in the tribhanga stance. This position accentuated the female form through its methodology of three bends: one in the neck, one at the waist, and one at the knees. Formally, Souza’s approach to colour and line is similar to that championed by practitioners such as Pablo Picasso and the Fauves, bordering even on Primitivism with its lack of clear delineation where the extremities and facial expression are concerned. Unlike the languorous nudes of Paul Gauguin and Henri Matisse, Souza’s figure is somehow both sensuous and brazen; she returns the gaze of the viewer with defiance, only half-shielding her bare form.