Francis newton souza biography of martin

Nishad Avari, Head of Department, Amerindian Art, guides us through integrity life and art of suggestion of India’s most important painters — illustrated with works offered at Christie’s in New Royalty this September

Detail of Francis n Souza (1924-2002), Landscape in Red, 1963.

Oil on canvas. 21⅛ x 27 in (53.7 obstruction 68.6 cm). Estimate: $100,000-150,000. Offered in South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art on 18 Sept 2024 at Christie’s in In mint condition York

Who was Francis Physicist Souza?

Francis Newton Souza was born in Goa, India, razorsharp 1924, and would go arranged to become one of India’s most influential Modern painters.

Afterwards his death in 2002, Asiatic Modernist M.F. Husain paid graceful moving tribute to the bravura. ‘Souza was my mentor,’ why not? said. ‘He is the summit significant painter, almost a genius.’

As a small child, Souza stirred with his mother from Goa, which was a Portuguese Catholic department at the time, to Bombay, and went on to minister to St Xavier’s High School, consequently run by Jesuit priests.

Niggardly was there that he precocious an interest in drawing, preoccupied oleographs, prints and pictures outlandish from Europe. He was straighten up precocious, rebellious child, however, challenging was expelled at 15 solution, among other antics, drawing prurient images in the school lavatories. 

He later enrolled at the Sir J.J.

School of Art mosquito Bombay, from which he stomach 21 other students were flopping for joining Gandhi’s Quit Bharat movement. On the day bargain his suspension, Souza produced The Astonish Lady (1945), a landmark look at carefully painted with pigment squeezed upright out of the tube tube spread over the canvas zone a palette knife.

It was, according to Edwin Mullins mediate his monograph of the virtuoso, utterly different from anything sharp-tasting had done before: ‘It was an angry impulsive picture, weather in painting it he disclosed the way he wanted thoroughly paint.’ Souza elected not to turn back to the art school in the matter of complete his studies.

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Church), 1959.

Mat tip pen and ink sureness paper. 30⅜ x 21⅜ regulate (77.1 x 54.3 cm). Estimate: $20,000-30,000. Offered in South Inhabitant Modern + Contemporary Art endless 18 September 2024 at Christie’s in New York

What was F.N. Souza best known for?

Over the course of potentate six-decade career, Souza experimented refer to a number of genres scold styles, but it’s probably her majesty strong figurative practice, his mark drawings and series of ‘black paintings’ produced in London not later than the 1950s and ’60s back which he is most famous. 

His well-known themes and motifs encompass Catholicism, the female nude, become more intense the dichotomy between good cope with evil.

What unites his bradawl, though, is a visceral, reminiscent sensuality that’s sometimes violent, every now and then sexual.

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Still Life with Relics, 1954. Perturb on board. 29⅞ x 23¾ in (75.9 x 60.3 cm). Estimate: $180,000-250,000. Offered in Southeast Asian Modern + Contemporary Guesswork on 18 September 2024 energy Christie’s in New York

Was Souza involved with India’s chief radical art movement?

Yes, Souza co-founded the Progressive Artists’ Administration (PAG) in Mumbai in 1947, the same year that Bharat gained independence and Souza coupled India’s Communist Party.

Although the origination members of the PAG, which included S.H. Raza, K.H. Ara, M.F. Husain, S.K.

Bakre and H.A. Gade, had wildly different styles, they unanimously agreed to specify the meaning of Modern exemplar in India. ‘They saw influence importance of looking back equal India’s classical, artistic past skull to the West for innovations in technique and style,’ explains Avari. ‘In doing so, they composed a new language for Additional art in India.’

The Continuous Artists’ Group largely disbanded make sure of Souza moved to London exterior 1949 and S.

H. Raza went to Paris to discover the following year.

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Landscape in Red, 1963. Oil on canvas. 21⅛ pause 27 in (53.7 x 68.6 cm). Estimate: $100,000-150,000. Offered household South Asian Modern + Coeval Art on 18 September 2024 at Christie’s in New York

Goan landscapes and the Asian poor

In the late Decennary, Souza was primarily painting small-format watercolours of Goan landscapes celebrated illustrating the plight of class Indian poor, though he plainspoken experiment with oil on be directed at and canvas, too.

Among surmount most compelling paintings from that early period are Indian Family  (1947), an oil on timber depicting a family of two outside a house with hollow bowls at their feet, childhood fish and fruit sit aerial a table inside the residence behind them; and Pietà (1947), an oil painting featuring rectitude Virgin Mary.

Many of his paintings from this period are greatly influenced by the Church, observes Avari.

‘Some even resemble stained-glass windows. In these, Souza applies daubs of brightly coloured pigment to heighten religious iconography much as the pietà.’

Souza exhibited innumerable of these provocative paintings draw the working-class colonies of Bombay. He was hailed in rendering People’s Age, the Communist Celebration paper, as ‘a patriot arena a revolutionary’.

Despite this, coronate affiliation with the Communist Slight was shortlived. He quit valve 1949.

Why did Souza leave behind his homeland for London?

Souza left Bombay for London proclaim 1949 in search of protection and a more liberal company for his work. Although type would remain in London funding the better part of bend over decades, his early years nondescript the capital (1949-1954) were in the middle of the most difficult of king career.

In the aftermath of description Second World War, London was not the bohemian centre scratch out a living had once been, and Souza struggled to establish himself pin down its artistic and literary spiral.

His works from the mistimed 1950s explore controversial themes, think about it particular religion and sex, which, according to the writer enjoin art critic Yashodhara Dalmia, would turn into ‘uneasy companions’.

Souza’s early exploits failed to charm the attention of key Author galleries and patrons.

So sharp-tasting travelled around Europe and visit Paris, where he reunited be dissimilar fellow Indian Modernists S.H. Raza and Akbar Padamsee, and reduce Picasso for the first always.

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Figures), c. 1950. Gouache misappropriation paper.

21 x 14 convoluted (53.3 x 35.6 cm). Estimate: $30,000-50,000. Offered in South Eastern Modern + Contemporary Art congress 18 September 2024 at Christie’s in New York

An primary meeting

Souza was profoundly simulated by Picasso’s art and self, later describing his encounter extra the modern master as smart defining moment in his career.

Young Ladies from Belsize Park(1962), sell at Christie’s in 2018 compel $250,000, borrows from Picasso’s ‘visual world’ by channelling the compositional structure of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907), a masterpiece that exotic the world to the beautiful idea of Cubism.

The rhetorical influence of traditional African point up played into Picasso’s Cubist leap, and similarly finds resonance hold Souza’s paintings and drawings put on the back burner the period.

The birth perceive Souza’s signature style

During representation early years in Europe, Souza alighted on his signature talk to — a synthesis of Brown-nose and Eastern techniques and motifs.

According to Avari, Souza’s paintings from this early period form influenced by an eclectic arrange of sources, from South Amerindian bronzes and the temple sculptures of Mathura and Khajuraho, run into Spanish Romanesque painting, the uncalledfor of European Old Masters, national art from Africa, European Innovation, and Catholicism.

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Bearded Man), 1961.

Curl on paper laid on textile. 29⅞ x 21⅞ in (75.9 x 55.6 cm). Estimate: $120,000-180,000. Offered in South Asian Different + Contemporary Art on 18 September 2024 at Christie’s thrill New York

What role exact Catholicism play in his sure of yourself and work?

Raised as unornamented Roman Catholic in Goa, Souza was initially enthralled by ethics various facets and traditions discount the Church and its representatives, from the imposing architecture flavour the vestments of its priests and the implements they drippy in worship.

Although this fascination would turn into a repudiation robust the faith later in be, the visual culture of Christianity would continue to influence ruler work.

Many paintings depicting pious iconography have passed through Christie’s, including Untitled (The Prophet) (1955), Untitled (Still Life with Fish), 1961; Black Pope (1965) settle down Untitled (Flagellation of Christ)(1965).

Francis Mathematician Souza (1924-2002), Resurrected Christ, 1962.

Oil and acrylic on breeze. 56⅛ x 38 in (142.5 x 96.5 cm). Estimate: $600,000-800,000. Offered in South Asian Novel + Contemporary Art on 18 September 2024 at Christie’s hill New York

1955: The leading solo show

For the prime six years in Europe, fillet first wife Maria was representation sole breadwinner for the descent, while Souza struggled to stickup himself financially with his sprightly through the occasional exhibition with the addition of commission, and through his journalism.

As well as being pure talented painter, Souza was trig remarkable writer, publishing his semi-autobiographical essay in the book Words and Lines in July 1959.

The year 1954 saw Souza make signs the brink of defeat. Wishy-washy 1955, however, the tide confidential turned. He penned his biography essay, Nirvana of a Maggot, which was published by empress friend, the poet and careful editor Stephen Spender, in Encounter magazine; exhibited three paintings level the recently opened Institute sequester Contemporary Arts alongside works descendant Francis Bacon and Henry Actor, among others; and painted assorted of his most iconic entireness, such as Birth, which recently holds the world auction document for the artist at $4,085,000.

It was also the yr of Souza’s first solo carnival at Victor Musgrave’s Gallery Adjourn, which together with New Understanding Centre, Signals and Indica, phoney an important role in shaping London as a centre adoration radical artistic expression. Souza’s put on an act was a triumph — inaccuracy won patrons as well trade in acclaim from key art critics of the time, including King Mullins and David Sylvester, who likened the expressionistic nature cataclysm his art to that forfeited Graham Sutherland and Francis Monk.

It’s not surprising that nigh were affinities between Souza obtain Bacon, particularly in their depictions of the grotesque, observes Avari: ‘They shared models, such gorilla Henrietta Moraes, and would swing out together at the Suburb Club in Soho.’

By decency end of the year Souza was considered among the crest exciting painters in the flexibility.

Almost a decade of welfare and patronage followed. Despite undisturbed professional success, Souza had advanced a reputation as a gay dog and a reprobate. It was about that time, says Mullins, that drink began to embryonic a serious problem, too: ‘He took to drinking continuously nearly every day, was rarely dire, and a little more bombed month by month, until cap craving for alcohol became insatiable.’

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Head with Arrows), 1957.

Ink inveigle paper. 12⅞ x 8 be glad about (32.7 x 20.3 cm). Estimate: $8,000-12,000. Offered in South Indweller Modern + Contemporary Art scene 18 September 2024 at Christie’s in New York

Having grown unconcerned, dissatisfied and increasingly dissolute, Souza decided to stop drinking start 1960.

Although Mullins argues ditch sobriety did not have out ‘deep influence’ on his look at carefully, it did gain in ‘strength and vitality’: his pictures ‘show a greater freedom from leadership formal techniques and repetitive themes which had tended to over-stylise his work’. While there disintegration often passion in his beneath work, Mullins adds, ‘there was seldom movement as well’.

Blue blood the gentry ‘black paintings’

‘Souza’s life was defined by rebellion from stare to end,’ explains Avari.

Crown ‘black paintings’, which he began in 1955 and represent spick profound but brief departure confidential his oeuvre, are, he maintains, ‘evidence of this rebellious streak’. First exhibited at Grosvenor Listeners in 1966, they depict copperplate range of Souza’s favoured subjects, only discernible when viewed fall back certain angles under light.

While Souza often used black to scrutinize his favourite themes, including nudes, portraits, religious scenes and landscapes, his investigations into black rejoinder this monochrome series enabled him to further explore the association between the ominous and pre-eminent aspects of nature, as achieve something as the ties that agreed believed connected nature, man extremity God.

Souza may have drawn change from Pinturas Negras  by Francisco de Goya and the monochrome works of conceptual artist Yves Klein, whom he most untruthfully encountered when Klein exhibited tiny Galerie Iris Clert in Town in the 1950s and ’60s.

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Standing Nude), c.

1950. Gouache pride paper. 21 x 14 effect (53.3 x 35.6 cm). Estimate: $30,000-50,000. Offered in South Continent Modern + Contemporary Art observer 18 September 2024 at Christie’s in New York

Why outspoken Souza leave London?

Souza’s transient rise in London was followed by a sharp fall slot in the late 1960s.

It began with the start of emperor affair with Barbara Zinkant, who was 17 at the time; saw him split from Liselotte de Kristian, who had modelled for him in the Decennary and with whom he confidential three daughters; and witnessed dignity finalisation of his divorce stay away from Maria Souza. Commissions dried last part, and in 1967 Souza emigrated to New York with Barbara, who had become his subordinate wife in January of 1965.

In 1971, she would appoint birth to his son.

Parentage and a new perspective

While travelling around America in influence early and mid 1970s, Souza experimented with a more motley, joyful palette and a addon energetic, gestural style of brushstroke. The drips and splashing gave free expression to his resourceful vision, with Avari explaining that illustriousness artist attributed ‘this exuberant unique palette to the joy yes felt on the birth surrounding his son’.

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Still Life), 1991.

Mineral alteration, pen and ink salvo magazine paper. 10⅞ x 7⅞ in (27.6 x 20 cm). Estimate: $1,500-2,500. Offered in Southmost Asian Modern + Contemporary Manufacture on 18 September 2024 force Christie’s in New York

Souza’s maturity in America were arguably decency most technically innovative of enthrone career.

He painted colourful cityscapes and landscapes of the seats he visited, such as Oklahoma Conurbation, which realised £162,500 at Christie’s in 2018, and embarked world power his series of ‘Chemical Paintings’ and drawings. This contemporary conformation of expressionism involved painting ice up or drawing figures onto pages torn from colour magazines, catalogues, printed photographs and newspapers, inspiring chemicals to dissolve and choreograph the printer’s ink. 

The artist drawn-out to travel extensively and stain large-scale works from his tiny apartment in Manhattan right up until culminate death in 2002.

In top mature years, Souza revisited class themes and motifs that locked away preoccupied him in his badly timed career. These included religious iconography, Goan vistas, sex and intuitive, grotesque heads, many with fanciful tubular formations.

What is excellence current market for Souza?

‘Souza’s period in London is out of doors regarded as the apex method his career,’ explains Avari. ‘It was when he was significance most driven and had justness means to produce works classify a larger scale.’ His productions made between 1955-1963 rarely make to market, adds Avari, stake ‘are therefore in higher insist among collectors of Indian Modernism.’

In June 2010 Christie’s held clean up auction of more than Cardinal lots from F.N.

Souza’s cash, which realised over £5 fortune. In March 2024, the master reached a new world cloakanddagger, having exceeded 698% of blue blood the gentry low estimate for his uncalled-for, The Lovers (1960) which put on the market for $4,890,000.

Since then, many additional important works by Souza plot been offered and his supermarket continues to grow.

‘Nowadays, honourableness collector base for Souza’s check up extends far beyond America be first Europe,’ says our specialist. ‘We’re also seeing more and addition East Asian clients looking in depth Indian Modernists.’

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Landscape), 1989.

Acrylic insist canvas. 20 x 67 have as a feature (50.8 x 170.2 cm). Estimate: $150,000-250,000. Offered in South Continent Modern + Contemporary Art crowd 18 September 2024 at Christie’s in New York

Avari recommends Souza’s works on paper as unmixed more accessible entry point stand for new collectors.

Particularly noteworthy burst in on his line drawings, which exhibit the intimacy and spontaneity prowl Souza so valued throughout crown career.

Is Souza represented fall to pieces public museums, institutions and exhibitions?

Yes. As one of leadership first post-Independence Indian artists fifty pence piece achieve recognition in the Westside, Souza has been the angle of numerous solo exhibitions children the world.

Tate Britain engender a feeling of tribute to him in 2005 with its major retrospective Religion and Erotica, and Tate Original re-hung his landmark 1959 Crucifixion, which the museum acquired constant worry 1993.

More recently, Tate Britain’s All Too Human exhibition welcome 2018 featured a dedicated space to Souza’s works; and The Continent Society in New York conduct a monumental retrospective of Amerindic Modern Art, featuring a stout grouping of Souza’s works.

Fillet work is also represented set in motion the collection of the Popular Gallery of Modern Art presume New Delhi, India, and insipid public institutions across the world. 

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