Untitled (Seated Nude)

This early nude by Francis Newton Souza's exhibits a bold and unrestrained sexuality, stylistically referencing the disordered intensity of Willem de Kooning and the raw unfinished lines of Art Brut, pioneered by Jean Dubuffet. With the bravado of Edouard Manet's Olympia, Souza's nude stares directly at the viewer unashamed by the nakedness of her flesh. This monumental work demonstrates Souza's ability to transform the nude into both a sublime image of idealized beauty (see lot 32) and a virulent icon of sexual power.