FEATURES ARCHIVE

We are deeply honoured to unveil an unprecedented sale of works of art from the Estate of Francis Newton Souza.  Never before has a monographic sale of this nature been conducted with a carefully considered selection of works spanning an artist's entire career, as part of the final dispersal of the Estate. Dating from 1935 through 1999, spanning his time in India, London and New York, Souza held on to these works his entire life. The broad scope sheds new light on all aspects of his oeuvre and the variety of artistic media. We are grateful to the Estate for granting us unprecedented access, including to his diaries and writings. Equally gifted as a writer, Souza's candid words show an artist deeply reflective of his art, conscious of his position. Truly a master of line and words, he is equally succinct and on the mark in both worlds, as the excerpts will show.  Thus the catalogue seeks to tell a story, through the works and words of the artist.  It represents a fresh view, encapsulating the life and evolution of F.N. Souza, including works exhibited at the Tate alongside many pieces that were previously unpublished.

Souza embarked on his artistic career at the Sir J.J. School of Art in Bombay where he enrolled in 1940 at the age of 16.  In the year of India’s Independence, the young artist joined forces with a handful of likeminded friends to form the Progressive Artists Group in 1949.  They sought a powerful new artistic movement, as he expressed in the group’s manifesto. Rejecting Academic traditions, they were mindful of their heritage and open to new modernist tendencies from the West. In Souza's own words, "a new era of India Art was born.

The next turning point for Souza was in London in 1954 when he became close to author Stephen Spender, who helped with introductions in the art world. The following year, Victor Musgrave's Gallery One held Souza's first solo exhibition in Britain. It was a triumph. He was good friends with Francis Bacon - until Souza radically stopped drinking in 1960. Edwin Mullins wrote the important monograph in 1962. The exciting final chapter started in New York in 1967, where he immediately embarked on new artistic expressions and techniques. He was dazzled by Manhattan and America.

I was personally bedazzled when we went through the process of viewing and selecting the works in hand. Looking at the stacks of drawings laid out, there was so much energy, so much sheer artistry jumping off the page and up in the air, a sense of shock and awe. I forever marvel at the mastery and facility of his line. The works on canvas and masonite have a freshness and immediacy about them that is so pristine - and enthrallingly powerful.                              

There is some justification in calling Souza the "Picasso of India" and I invite you to discover his work anew as you browse our sale catalogue. This sale represents a unique chance for collectors at all levels to acquire a piece by Souza's hand, as well as a piece of history. I am convinced that in years to come we will look back at this event as a milestone for the field, when Souza might well have reached the levels of recognition of his Spanish nemesis and inspiration. Stronger than ever, his vocation will be seen and heard.