Untitled

Stylistically, this painting bears a strong connection to the works of Pablo Picasso and Philip Guston. Painted with a thick impasto, the grotesque figure is seated in a formal conventional portrait format. While the appendages at the side are almost phallic in scope, the lower portion resembles the ecclesiastical vestments of a Catholic hierarch. As noted earlier, Souza often revisited themes from his Catholic heritage in his art. While this painting contains certain incongruent qualities, perhaps it is a sly and yet not so subtle critique of the Church and its teachings.