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Lot 22
Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002)
Estimate : 3,00,000 - 6,00,000
Object Title:
Untitled
Medium:
Ink on paper
Signature:
Signed and dated in English (upper right) 'Souza 66'
Object Title :
Untitled
Dimension:
9 x 7.3 in. / 23 x 18.5 cm
The lot has ended
     
Lot essay

Souza had sketched his first nude at the young age of sixteen. For him, the body was a means to express both torment and fascination. The extraordinary voluptuousness of the female figures in Souza’s nudes are firmly rooted in Indian art historical tradition, with the perfectly rounded breasts and buttocks recalling an entire history of full-bosomed erotic imagery from the tantric to the miniaturist. The female figures of Buddhist and Hindu temple sculptures also reflect in his works. Unlike the languorous nudes of Paul Gauguin and Henri Matisse, Souza's figures are somehow both sensuous and brazen.'

(excerpt from exhibition text for F.N. Souza: 52 Years on Paper: 1946 - 1998. grosvenorgallery.com)

In their entirety, Souza's nudes offer an alternate picture of the female body, standing in stark comparison to the academic 'reality' female anatomy. These nude sketches from the sixties portray his models in their everyday routine, directly challenging the way we understand beauty and sexuality. His nudes, male and female, are permanently distorted and disturbed. 'Through these distortions, Souza not only celebrated the raw sexuality of Indian women which were suppressed in Indian paintings but also lay bare and questioned the moral construction of Indian historical paintings which adhered to norms of traditional beauty and suppressed sexuality. The contorted figures of the women took shape as the artist indulged in brush strokes strongly scratching and cross-hatching lines.'

(text courtesy: Sex, Nudity and Women: Exploring F. N. Souza’s Perspective. dhoomimalgallery.com)

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condition of sale
condition of sale
Ink on paper. Minor discolouration, with frame. Strain mark on the upper left edge, mild crease towards the left of the artist signature. Overall good condition.
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