FRANCIS NEWTON SOUZA
Born 1924 in Goa, India.
Died 2002 in Mumbai, India.
F. N. Souza’s works drew inspiration from the folk art of his native Goa alongside various European sources such as the full-blooded paintings of the Renaissance, landscapes of the 18th and 19th centuries, and the dynamism of Cubist composition. A recurrent theme in his work was the dichotomy of male/female relationships, with an emphasis upon the related conflicts, friction and sexual tensions. In his drawings, Souza managed to capture fine detail even with an economy of line; he also favored crosshatched strokes to compose the overall structure of his subjects.
As one of the founders of the Progressive Artists' Group in 1947 – along with M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, and others – Souza led the charge of the Indian modernist art movement. He was the only Indian artist to be included in Tate Modern’s group exhibition on 20th century modernism in 2002.
An iconoclast known for his powerful and provocative imagery, Souza’s unrestrained and graphic style was a source of controversy in both his art and life. His repertoire covered still life, landscape, nudes and icons of Christianity, boldly rendered in a frenzied distortion of form. Souza's paintings express defiance and impatience with convention and the banality of everyday life.
Born 1924, Saligaon, Goa, India
Died 2002, Bombay, India
Francis Newton Souza was born in India in 1924 and is of Goan Christian origin. As one of the co-founders of the Progressive Artists' Group in 1947, along with M.F. Husain, Raza, Ara and others, Souza led the edge of the Indian modernist art movement. He is widely recognised as a leading modernist and was the only Indian artist to be included in Tate Modern's group exhibition on 20th Century Modernism in 2002.
An iconoclast known for his powerful imagery, F. N. Souza unrestrained and graphic style created much controversy in his life and work. His repertoire of subjects covers still life, landscape, nudes and icons of Christianity, rendered boldly in a frenzied distortion of form. Souza's paintings express defiance and impatience with convention and the banality of everyday life.
Souza's works have reflected the influence of various schools of art: the folk art of his native Goa, the full-blooded paintings of the Renaissance, the religious fervor of the Catholic Church, the landscapes of 18th and 19th century Europe and the path-breaking work of the cubists. A recurrent theme in his work is the sexual tensions and friction within the male and female relationship and their ensuing conflicts. In drawings, Souza uses line with economy but captures fine detail in his forms; or uses a profusion of crosshatched strokes that make up the overall structure of his subject.
In 1942, Souza was expelled from the J.J. School of Art for partaking in the 'Quit India' movement. He left for London in 1949, making his mark on the European art scene and rose to fame with his 1955 one-man show at Gallery One, London – the same year his autobiographical essay 'Nirvana of a Maggot' was published. Souza exhibited internationally during his lifetime, solo and group shows include the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London (1954); Venice Biennale (1954); Guggenheim Museum, USA (1958); Whitechapel Art Gallery, London (1958); Tate Gallery (1968); Museum of Modern Art, Sao Paulo/Rio de Janeiro (1961); Guggenheim Foundation, USA (1967); Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, UK (1982); Royal Academy of Art, London (1982); Hirschhorn Museum, Washington D.C (1982); Retrospectives include India House, London (1951, organised by Mr. V.K. Krishna Menon, then High Commissioner), and two organised by Art Heritage Gallery, Delhi (1986, 1996).
F. N. Souza, Untitled (Black Nude), 1965, Oil on canvas, 50 x 40 in
F. N. Souza, Landscape, 1974, Oil on canvas, 27 x 51 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled (Head-Red), 1956, Oil on board, 30 x 24 in
F. N. Souza, Spain, 1959, Oil on board, 24 x 48 in
F. N. Souza, Houses at Night, 1957, Oil on board, 48 x 24 in
F. N. Souza, Green Landscape, 1960, Oil on board, 30 x 24 in
F. N. Souza, Townscape, 1963, Oil on canvas, 27 x 22 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled (People Gathering), 1983, Ink on paper, 11 x 8.5 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled II (Figures Christ on Cross), Ink on paper, 11 x 8.5 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled (Couple Lying), 1983, Ink on paper, 11 x 8.5 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled (Two Red Figures), 1983, Ink on paper, 11 x 8.5 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled (Renaissance Man), 1964, Ink on archival paper, 10 x 8 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled (Woman and Christ on Cross), 1983, Ink on paper, 11 x 8.5 in
F. N. Souza, Jester, 1983, Ink on paper, 11 x 8.5 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled (Wiseman In Front of Church), 1959, Graphite on archival paper, 8 x 13 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled (Bearded Self-Portrait), 1986, Ink on vellum, 15.5 x 12.5 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled (Nude Holding Flower), 1967, Ink on vellum, 17 x 12 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled (Head III), 1972, Pen and ink on paper, 11 x 8.5 in
F. N. Souza, Untitled (Still Life with Vase), 1975, Marker and chemical alteration on paper, 11 x 8.5 in
F. N. Souza, Seated Female Nude 2,1956, Oil and pencil on paper, 21.5 x 14.5 in
Written by Janeita Singh, titled F. N. Souza: The Archetypal Artist, the book celebrates the artist’s centenary through an incisive analysis of his life and work.
A friend salutes Francis Newton Souza on his 20th death anniversary — and expresses remorse for having let him down
Artists have created a hybrid Indo-European style of paintings, thus advancing the cultural hegemony of western artistic expression
While the history of Indian art stretches back to the ancient era, the 19th century witnessed an early progression of Indian art being adapted to the western visual lexis with the emergence of Company Style painting.
