FN Souza: Black on Black by Grosvenor Gallery

Grosvenor Gallery

INTRODUCTION

The original exhibition catalogue for Souza’s 1966 show Black Art and Other Paintings has always intrigued me. The cover features a black and white image of the artist, cut into sixteen squares and laid in a grid. A besuited Souza is shown in the centre, surrounded by these silver boxes. What is not apparent however is that the silver can be scratched away, to reveal two tall models in PVC outfits flanking the artist! It was a brilliant and original idea which only the truly inquisitive would realise, as those glancing at the cover would never have known what lay beneath. I wonder how many people received the catalogue knew they were meant to scratch the images? Presumably not many, but I suppose this was the artist’s aim, to make people look closer at his work, not to merely glance at it. Barbara Zinkant, Souza’s partner at the time, recalls the artist working excitedly on his black paintings, placing lamps around them to catch the light. That initial excitement is still as strong even today. From a first glance one sees a rectangle of black paint, but look closer and forms and texture emerge from the darkness. Recreating the 1966 show in 2013 has not been an easy task. We have catalogued 51 works, and tracked down all the works exhibited in the original show. There are a few paintings which we do not have images for, and there will be a handful of works we do not know of, but we hope this catalogue will be a useful tool for future generations, and that it will throw light on an often ignored body of work by Souza. Many thanks to Zehra Jumabhoy for her introduction, and thanks to all the collectors and critics who have sent us quotes for the catalogue. Thanks also to Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Saffronart and Shelley Souza for allowing us to publish their images. Many thanks to all the private collectors who have agreed to loan their works for the exhibition, including Keren-Souza Kohn, Francesca Souza and Anya Souza. Thanks finally to all the Grosvenor Gallery staff and interns who have all contributed to the catalogue and the exhibition. Conor Macklin, September 2013

F.N. Souza: Dark Visions

Double Trouble In recent years, two F.N. Souzas seem to slide along together, never really touching. The first story sees the Goa-born painter as one of the heroes of Indian Modernism; defining a new art for a new nation. In 1947, he founded the Progressive Artists’ Group in Bombay, along with the (now) infamous M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza and K.H. Ara, amongst others. This is a popular tale in auction catalogues and Indian galleries: as a founder of The Progressives, on the ‘eve’ of Independence from British rule, Souza’s art aimed to reflect India’s entry into Modernity. Hence, the hard-bold brushstrokes of The Progressives eschewed the sentimental tone of The Bengal School, with its sweet (critics would say “regressive”) depictions of India’s aristocratic past, village damsels and rural landscapes. Instead, the PAG – despite the diverse pictorial styles of its members – chose as its role-models Post-Impressionism, Cubism and German Expressionism; pulling Indian art into line with International styles. The second chronicle, styles Souza as a Diaspora Artist – who first left India for London in 1949, and London for New York in 1967 – and whose star rose and fell with the changing currents of the West’s attitude to ‘Otherness’. The Delhibased art historian Geeta Kapur notes: “Souza was the first Indian artist to become something of a sensation in the West.”1 So, Souza is painted as having been Brit Art’s bright star in the 1950s and early 1960s. Mentored by the writer and editor Stephen Spender, Souza’s first 1955 solo with London’s edgy Gallery One established him as part of the ‘in-crowd’. Respected critics, like John Berger, Edwin Mullins and David Sylvester, seemed converted to his cause. But, by the mid-1960s Souza was no longer assured of critical praise. And his 1966 exhibition at London’s Grosvenor Gallery, “Black Art and Other Paintings”, received nothing like the accolades his earlier shows had done. Which is the ‘real’ Souza: British or Indian, British-Indian or Indian-Expat? Is there more than one? The Black Paintings might contain the clue to the mystery. They were created at a transition point in Souza’s life ( just before he left London for New York) and virtually disappeared from circulation after their initial airing. Dated 1965 and made in London, their first public presentation at Grosvenor Gallery in 1966 also proved to be their last – until now. This 2013 show, a restaging of the 1966 venture, is the first time that the works have been reunited. And of the 50-odd paintings in the original show, only 17 have been amassed. Some of the others are tucked away in private collectors, yet others were allegedly destroyed by Souza himself. Why? 7

The 1960s Black Paintings with their enigmatic images (black buried in black, with fleeting glimpses of colour) tempt us to unlock their secrets. Yet, like Souza himself, they are obtuse: unwilling to yield their significance straightforwardly. Technically tough to paint (without the assistance of a colourful palette the black lines, mired in black paint, called upon his tremendous skills as a draughtsman) they are not easy views either: we twist and turn, waiting for an angle of light to be ‘just right’ before we can glean the images concealed in their dark depths. Moreover, they share little in common stylistically: the Cubist Black Valentine (no.46), with its jet hearts and geometric shapes, competes for attention with the Impressionistic vase of lily-like Flowers (no.44.). As black impasto wars for dominance with more black impasto, Landscapes, looming Heads, menacing Popes and voluptuous Nudes appear as obstinately opposed to decoding as Souza’s own motives. Why did he paint them? Certainly not for commercial gain. They were hard to sell: a provocation to the increasingly conservative British art establishment in the 1960s, who expected an “Indian artist” to paint with a bright, “exotic” palette. And they are difficult to replicate in sale brochures: their buried flecks of vibrant colour remain hidden, textured surfaces mostly obfuscated on a printed page. Take Untitled (Landscape with Black Moon) (no.32), in which black houses tumble against a velvety midnight sky. In the reproduction, the buildings run together with their background, yet viewing ‘the real thing’ generates a different impression: the ‘black moon’ teems with submerged colour (deep red, flecks of cobalt, hints of yellow). What you see, depends on how you are looking. The Black Paintings have the last laugh. Bombay-based poet Adil Jussawalla, who was a friend of the artist, reminisced about seeing the 1966 display: “Black paintings, canvas plastered – no other word comes to mind – with thick black paint, with objects and figures dug into them with the same fierce, controlled energy that characterizes his best work.”2 Jussawalla’s description is one of the few available of the Black Paintings. Ignored in India (because they were made in Britain?) and largely overlooked in Britain (perhaps, because they were painted by an Indian?) they received little critical attention at the time. Thus, they provide the perfect opportunity to reassess the Souza of the 1960s – and his contradictory legacy.

Dark Times “Better had I died….I would not have had to bear an artist’s tormented soul, create art in a country that despises her artists and is ignorant of her heritage,” groaned Souza in Word & Lines (2) But which country, was he referring to? The indifference to Souza (until relatively recently) was prevalent in all his hometowns: India, Britain and America. If he rode high on a wave of popularity in London in the 1950s, his reputation toppled in the 1960s. He left for New York in 1967. But, as American Pop Art took off with a bang, he never attained the heights he had reached in 1950s Britain. He returned to India in his last years, and died in Bombay in 2002. Jussawalla lamented “the near-indifference to his death, the mealy-mouthed praise” in an Obituary. 3 The saga of the Black Paintings is entangled with this history of neglect. Were Souza’s mutilated, dark figures victims of bad timing? Karachi-born, Londonbased critic, curator and artist Rasheed Araeen thinks so. Including Souza in his 1989 Hayward Gallery exhibition, The Other Story, Araeen argues that he was among those Bright Young Foreign Things of the British art scene who achieved temporary fame in the 1950s, before Britain became a closed society. Araeen, who had seen the 1966 show reports: “I think Souza’s black-on-black paintings were not only conceptually a radical shift in Souza’s own work but also a historically important development within British art. But, unfortunately, he could not maintain and develop this work further. This was partly because of the response he received when he exhibited this work in 1966, but also because of the institutional perception of the Indian artist which was not easy to defy or confront.”4 F.N Souza, Black Nude, 1961 Victoria & Albert Museum

The once reviled – and then ignored – Black Paintings seem to be on the cusp of a dialogue about racial exclusion. What little critical attention that they received at the time wasn’t especially complementary. Is this because – as Araeen thinks – that British history played Souza a marked card? Or was it because of scandalised murmurings that hit the press in 1967 – shortly after which Souza moved to New York.5 Just as Jussawalla suggests that in Bombay, Souza had a “reputation for rudeness and drunkenness”, so too did the milieu he moved around with in Britain. Was the scandal that rocked the art establishment one where Souza became a scapegoat for artists’ wayward lifestyles or was it racism? Was it his so-called Black art, heart or skin that was being castigated?

Moreover, what inspired the blackness of the 1965 images? Did the glowering Black Pope (no.7) and corpulent Nudes (nos.19-27) represent an angrier phase in his life than usual?6 Whilst, much has been said about Souza’s black mood in the 1960s, few have linked his Black Paintings to the disposition of the British Art World at the time. After all, 1960’s Britain was a dark place for most painters. Perhaps, Souza (like his contemporaries Francis Bacon and Graham Sutherland) was also caught up in depicting the travails of Post-War Britain. Both the Souzas in the Tate Gallery and V & A Museum collections – Crucifixion, 1959, and Black Nude, 1961, respectively – were painted in the lead up to Souza’s 1966 exhibition. In these works, Souza’s razor-toothed, bat-like Christ and aggressive nude (her skull-like face combined with her protruding belly suggest a Kali-like conflation of death and fertility) demonstrate that Souza was consistently eradicating bright hues. If his earlier and later paintings were characterised by thick black lines, they also revelled in colour: acid yellows, harsh blues, bloody reds. By the late 1950s, and early ’60s, however, Souza’s images were swamped by sinister shades. And this development did not happen in isolation. Both Sutherland and Bacon were employing gloomy palettes and Christian iconography (black Christs; viciously deformed Popes) to suggest moral decay. Souza’s 1965 Black Pope, (no.7) with his bulky, seated form thrusting out from a sea of corrugated paint, is in good company. Perhaps too, Souza’s own circumstances as a ‘man of colour,’ instigated him to tune into an even gloomier facet of Post-War Britain: discrimination. In which case, we can see the Black Paintings as a culmination of Souza’s interest in the politics of colour since the Notting Hill Race Riots in 1957. The Birmingham Museum houses Souza’s Negro in Mourning, 1957. This stark painting shows a suited blueblack figure, fabricated with thorny brushstrokes against a white backdrop. Souza’s statement about the work demonstrates his sensitivity to the racial connotations of black: “I painted Negro in Mourning in London when the race riots flared... it is about the colour of skin.”7 Of course, the Black Paintings could have been a purely formal experiment with the colour. 1965 was one of Souza’s most productive years. Along with the Black Paintings, he also produced the Kalam series, a revival of Indian Miniature painting in the Souza idiom. In her catalogue essay for another series of Black Paintings – those by the Americans Robert Rauschenberg, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko and Frank Stella in the 1950s and 1960s – curator Stephanie Rosenthal relays the Abstract Expressionists’ investigation of blackness: “For the viewer

F.N Souza, Negro in Mourning, 1957 Birmingham Museum

too, these images represent a transition. Without being conscious of the fact, we sense that they will take us to the limits – the limits of the visible…”8 Souza’s black beauties are certainly receptive to the formal possibilities of blackness, its potential for creating disorientation and ghostly doubles: for instance, two painted women, Standing Nude, (no.21) and Standing Nude in Black, (no.20), share similar names but sport different tints. While one is defined with shiny coal-black impasto, the other is encased in a boxy space, her brownish mass rising from a matte, greyish background. Was Souza’s Black Art an experiment with form or a statement against oppression? It might have been both.

Black and Belated Whatever motivated the Black Paintings – race and/or creativity – it is possible that they had to deal with the socio-politics of colour in their reception. The Guardian critic, Tim Hilton, who writes about Araeen’s 1989 show – admittedly, in less than flattering terms – poses a telling question about the 1960s: “Could it be that there was then more racism in the British art world and that young Black artists were being squeezed out at just the time when young working-class artists from the British provinces were finding unprecedented…public fortune?”9 Even at the height of his fame as a “British artist” in the 1950s, the Reviewers of Souza’s exhibitions were always on the cusp of accusing him of being ‘derivative’. Why is it that Indian Modernists are invariably castigated in this way? No one accused Pablo Picasso of plagiarising African masks or Henri Matisse of purloining elements from Islamic miniatures. Yet, both were clearly ‘influenced’ (a non-pejorative term). Ironically, Souza’s interpretation of the work of Modernist masters such as Picasso, Matisse and Paul Gauguin brings back to Indian art a sense of its own lost identity. For, just as the French Modernists ransacked the traditions of the East for creative inspiration, Modernism in Souza’s terms was a re-investigation of India’s cultural heritage. Souza writes, “If modern art is hybrid, what is the School of Paris? …Indian artists who borrow from the School of Paris are home from home.” 10 The folk art of Goa – and its Byzantine-inflected religious icons – are integrated into the formation of Souza’s visual language. So, Modernism in Souza’s hands, achieves a “home-coming”.11 This seems to dovetail with Araeen’s contention: “When Afro-Asian artists arrived from different parts of the world in Europe, they were not carrying another culture but different levels of the same culture that they had left behind.” 12

Thanks to the recent surge in interest in Indian art though – the numerous survey shows and the steady stream of Museum curators visiting the country – it is tempting to believe that the late Souza’s resurrection is at hand in Britain. In 2012, Tate Britain’s group show “Migrations: Journeys into British Art”, placed his painting, Crucifixion, 1959, alongside Araeen’s Minimalist sculptures in a section entitled “Artists In Pursuit of an International Language”. As one of India’s Modernists he is now back in business within India too. If Western Museums need to look for Eastern patronage, local collectors of Contemporary India Art feel a sudden desire to understand the history behind the ‘new art’. Redefining Indian Modernism – both in India and abroad – is a vital (and potentially lucrative) task. Of course, some might be suspicious of this dual embrace of Souza. As the Daddy of Indian Modernism, can he be so seamlessly absorbed into a narrative of British identity? Does one story negate the other? But, what does it matter if the result is a celebration of an intriguing artist and a chance to shed light on a dark period in his oeuvre. Taking his cue from the images in the Black Paintings, it is about time that Souza emerges from his shadowy past. Zehra Jumabhoy, September 2013

F.N Souza, Crucifixion, 1959 Tate Britain

Endnotes 1. F.N. Souza, Words and Lines, Ibid, p. 7 2. See: http://www.asia-major.com/reviews/jussawalla/ fnsouza.html 3. See: http://www.asia-major.com/reviews/jussawalla/ fnsouza.html 4. Email to Conor Macklin, 13 June 2013. 5. The Camden News Journal ran a full-page story in 2006 with the title “Souza – the great artist hounded out of Britain”. The story claims that Souza left Britain because of the “tabloid frenzy” caused by his marriage to Zinkant. Dan Carrier, The Camden News Journal, 26 January 2006. 6. George Melly, F N Souza Religion & Erotica, 2005, Andrew Barklem, London 7. See: http://www.bmagic.org.uk/objects/1999P10 In her 2012 MA thesis, for the Sotheby’s Institute, “Monochromes and Chemicals: Understanding Francis Newton Souza’s Avant-Garde Experiments Press, Toby Treves. Treves suggests that Souza’s experience

of “racism” is not a good explanation for the paintings’ blackness: “…as far as we know he didn’t feel racially discriminated against and nor did he talk about painting at the time in those terms.” However, I think this quote from the Birmingham Museum’s website suggests otherwise. 8. Stephanie Rosenthal, “Black Paintings As Transitions”, Black Paintings, Hatje Cantz Verlag, Munich, 2006, p. 73. 9. Tim Hilton, “Collision Culture”, The Guardian, December 20, 1989. 10. F.N. Souza, “Cultural Imperialism”, Patriot Magazine, 1984. 11. Yashodhara Dalmia, “A Passion for the Human Figure”, The Making of Modern Indian Art, OUP, 2001, p. 97–98. 12. Rasheed Araeen, “Epilogue”, The Third Text Reader: On Art, Culture and Theory, Continuum, 2002, p. 339.

Souza’s art is not concerned with representation or verisimilitude, with questions of style or tradition, with problems of nationalism or modernism. His fundamental aim is to destroy art as it is commonly understood, and to re-create it in terms of a Black Mass in which the living God is eaten, so that, through this primitive and barbarous rite, man may partake of his eternal spirit and embody in himself its resurrection. Ebrahim Alkazi, Souza’s Seasons in Hell, Art Heritage No. 6, 1986–1987

“ I want to say something about Souza’s “black paintings”, which I actually saw at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1966. By a stroke of luck Souza was there in the gallery when I visited it, and I said hello to him. He was dressed in a suit wearing a tie and looked like a respectable businessman rather than a reputed artist, and he responded with a smile and said hello to me as well. That was all, as it was my first meeting with him and I did not know what more to say to an artist who was then highly celebrated. Moreover, although I was somewhat fascinated by what I saw in the gallery, I did not then understand the full significance of the work. It was only much later when I began to search into the works of non-white artists in Britain, leading to ‘The Other Story’ exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in 1989, that I realized the historical importance of Souza’s “black paintings”. I did not see Souza again until I went to see him in New York in 1988 (I might have met him before in Karachi, but not sure). It was then that I asked him about his so-called “black paintings”, as I was interested in including them in “The Other Story” show. But his responsive was first evasive, and, as I persisted with my question, he became somewhat irritated and said that he had destroyed them and wanted no more talk about them. As far as I was then concerned, it was the end of what I thought was the most important work of Souza. It was not only an extremely important radical shift in Souza’s work, from the supposed transgression of his figurative work to the transcendence of “black paintings”; but also historically a paradigm shift in British painting, a development which would have given a new direction to and understanding of art in Britain. In fact, during the period between 1963 and 1966, some non-white artists occupied a central place within the avant-garde, and Souza would have been among these artists. But this would have not been recognized by the British art history, as I point out below. This is however a complex issue which requires an essay to elaborate which I can’t do now here.

When recently I was told (perhaps by Conor) about the existence of these paintings I was not only surprised but baffled. Why was Souza hiding them? Did he not understand their historical importance, not only for himself but also to art history? Or, was there something else with which he couldn’t deal? Was he merely testing his real identity when he made those paintings within the country in which he might have felt to be or treated only as a celebrated other – an Indian? Why did he leave Britain to go to New York after the “failure” of the exhibition of “black paintings” in 1966? Why did he then in New York in fact turned to his Indian identity, not only by resuming his figurative work but also with it celebrating the gods and goddesses of India? Francis Souza is of course not with us to answer these questions. It is now our responsibility to look into and deal with them. In fact, without these questions we cannot look critically at “black paintings” and assess their importance. And as these works belong to the history which produced them, only within this history they can be evaluated and their significance understood. This history is the history of art in postwar Britain when Britain not only became a multiracial society but its mainstream comprised artists of all racial and cultural backgrounds. But the problem is that its inclusive history is not institutionally recognized or does not exist within the institutions as part of their view and discourse of art history. What is in fact recognized is only part of it, a privileged part representing only the achievement of white artists. In other words, the overall historical narrative of art or history of art in Britain which is necessary for looking at the work of artists like Souza is not there or available within the study and teaching of the mainstream history of modernism. It is either institutionally ignored or suppressed, the result of which is the prevalence of the primacy of Eurocentric/Imperialist (if not also racist) discourse within art institutions.“ Rasheed Aareen, September 2013

The only black work that I have is one of the first ones Souza did. It looks like a table with squares which he has printed his name out….. When I took the work down to photograph it, I realized that it was actual something Souza called “table” and if I remember correctly, he did it as a test piece. He wanted to check out various brush and palate knife strokes to see how the light would reflect on the work…. I do remember Francis being really excited about these works. He would place lamps around the paintings and would view them from different angles. The responses he got from any perspective buyers were not very enthusiastic! Everyone was looking for the “old” Souza works. He didn’t do very many of them. Funny, it’s still the same today; everyone wants his works from his 60’s and 70’s period. Barbara Zinkant, June 2013

You have to admire Souzaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s courage. He comes from India into a post war Britain and paints black on black. To paint without colour: was he brave or crazy a genius or a fool? Or both? Souza was like a tightrope walker teetering between madness and inspiration. The Black on Blacks represent the moment when you take your breath and wonder when the man will plunge. This work is not for the faint of heart. There is no safety net. Its scary stuff. Kito de Boer, September, 2013

Black is the most mysterious of all colours. Renoir found it impossible and said a spot of black was like a hole in the painting. I cannot agree: colour is now disturbing in a bad way. F N. Souza, Paint it Black, Review of Black Art and Other paintings, The Observer, May 15, 1966

The bold strokes with which Souza enclosed the form, driven by a demonic frenzy strove to shock the senses and create an awareness about the evil within. This unmitigated violence emitted not from the trenches of war but was present at oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doorstep as part of daily life. This is even more starkly highlighted in Souzaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s black on black works where the slashing lines swarm upon the surface from a sea of blackness. The emergent darkness seems to swell and spread from within so that the serpent writhing inside can be confronted and combated. Yashodhara Dalmia, September 2013

Yes, I remember FNS’ 1966 show at Erik Estorick’s Grosvenor Gallery in Davies Street all too well. Characteristically, Francis had given the exhibition a challenging title. The show stunned London. Although some artists in America were making all-black stuff, their outcome had yet to be seen here in any substantive manner. Of course, Souza’s detractors, and there were a few, said what they had to say about his new work, the ever-experimenting 40-year old Goan-born rebel with a pockmarked face and a charming smile was yet again hailed generally as an innovator. However, the origin of these `black’ paintings was grounded in an endearingly simple technique. The works he did not like, he simply went over them with Woolworth’s black gloss paint. As he always used loaded brushes and palette knives, light did the rest, giving these paintings a look that was as memorable as it was haunting. Balraj Khanna, September 2013

Catalogue

Untitled (Black head with checkerboard shirt) 1965

Head of a man 1965

Signed and dated upper right Oil on canvas 80 x 54 cm. (31 ½ x 21 ¼ in.) Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 160 Private Collection

The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 83 Private Collection Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, F.N Souza: The Human and the Divine Predicament, 1964, Cat no. 25

Head of a Man Thinking 1965

Bust of a man before an arched window 1965

Titled on reverse Oil on canvas 66 x 50.8cm. (26 x 20 in.) Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 167 Private Collection

Signed and dated upper left Oil on canvas 76 x 54.6 cm. (30 x 21 ½ in.) Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 166 Private Collection

Untitled (Black Tondo Head) 1965

Head with Woolen Beard 1965

Inscribed 31” x 32” on the reverse Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm. (31 ½ x 31 ½ in.)

Provenance: Barbara Zinkant, Maryland Grosvenor Gallery, London Rajiv and Payal Chaudhri, New York Private Collection

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 123 Christie’s New York: South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, March 20, 2013 [Lot 95]

Oil on Board 76 x 61 cm. (30 x 24 in.)

Exhibited: Valencia, I.V.A.M, MODERN INDIA (India Moderno) 11.12.200815.02.2009, illustrated in colour p. 168

Black Pope 1965

Head of a man in Black 1965

Signed and dated upper right; inscribed F.N. SOUZA Black Pope - 1965 oil on canvas 40” x 30” Col: Grosvenor Gallery on the reverse Oil on canvas 101.6 x 76.2 cm. (40 x 30 in.)

Inscribed, Stamped Oil on canvas 75.9 x 63.2 cm. (29 ¾ x 24 ¾ in.)

Provenance: Grosvenor Gallery, London The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. AK30 Christie’s New York, South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art September 16, 2008, Lot 117 Private Collection Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, Souza: Black Art & Other Paintings, 1964, Cat no. 22

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 165 Christie’s New York: Wednesday, September 12, 2012 [Lot 00404] South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art, September 12, 2012 [Lot 404] Private Collection Exhibited: London Arts Gallery, Detroit, no.73

Literature: A Kurtha, Francis Newton Souza; Bridging Western and Indian Modern Art, Ahmedabad, 2006, p. 39, illustrated C. Barrett, Souza, Geoffrey Rao: London Commentary by Cyril Barrett, Studio International, May 1966, illustrated in B&W p. 213

Untitled (Man with Wool Beard) 1965

Man with beard 1965

Inscribed 47” x 32 1/2” on the reverse Oil on canvas with wool yarn 118.75 x 82.9 cm. (46 ¾ x 32 5/8 in.)

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza Private Collection

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 122 Christie’s New York: South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art, March 21, 2012 [Lot 589] Delhi Art Gallery Private Collection

Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, F.N Souza: Black Art & Other Paintings, 1964, Cat no. 20 The London Arts Group Gallery, Detroit, no. 113

Two Saints (After El Greco) 1965

Black Head 1965

Signed and dated lower left Oil on canvas 101.5 x 76 cm. (40 x 30 in.)

Inscribed 39” x 32’’ on the reverse Oil on canvas 99.4 x 82.9 cm. (39 1/8 x 32 5/8 in.)

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza Private Collection

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 128 Christie’s New York, South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, March 21, 2012, [Lot 588] Private Collection

Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, F.N Souza: Black Art & Other Paintings, 1964, Cat no. 18

Head 1965

Black Head 1965

Signed and dated upper right Oil on board 73.7 x 58.4 cm. (29 x 23 in.)

Signed and dated upper left Oil on board 76 x 61 cm. (30 x 24 in.)

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 229 Saffronart: Thursday, December 09, 2010 [Lot 46] Winter Auction 2010

Provenance: Schuster Bonhams London, Modern and Contemporary Indian and Pakistani Paintings, May 21, 2007, [Lot 56]

Black Head 1965

Head of Christ 1965

Oil on board 57.2 x 36.8 cm. (22 ½ x 14 ½ in.)

Signed Oil on board 76.2 x76.2 cm. (30 x 30 in.)

Provenance: Gifted by the artist to Peter Townsend in 1965 Bonhams London, Contemporary Indian and Pakistani Paintings, October 13, 2005, [Lot 289] Delhi Art Gallery, India Sotheby’s New York, Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, September 18, 2013, [Lot 49] Private Collection

Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, Souza: Black Art & Other Paintings, 1964, Cat no. 28

Exhibited: The London Arts Group Gallery, Detroit

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 79 SaffronArt, March 11, 2010, [Lot 91] Private Collection

No image

Head 1965

Oil on canvas 76.2 x 76.2 cm. (30 x 30 in.)

No image

Oil on canvas 76.2 x 50.8 cm. (30 x 20 in.)

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 127

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 130

Mystical Ebony 1965

Standing Nude in Black 1965

Signed and dated centre right Oil on canvas 172.7 x 91.4 cm. (68 x 36 in.)

Signed lower left Oil on canvas 83 x 107 cm. (32 ½ x 42 in.)

Provenance: The London Arts Group Gallery, Detroit Osians, Masterpieces of Indian Art, March 17, 2003 Private Collection Dubai

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 172 Private Collection

Exhibited: The London Arts Group Gallery, Detroit, no. 118

Black Nude 1965

Standing Couple 1965

Signed upper left Oil on canvas 110 x 63 cm. (43 ½ x 24 ¾ in.) Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 179 Private Collection

Signed upper left Oil on canvas 91.5 x 100 cm. (36 x 391/4 in.) Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 171 Private Collection

Lovers 1965

Untitled (Black Nude) 1965

Oil on canvas 107.5 x 82.8 cm. (33 x 42 ½ in.)

Signed and dated upper right Oil on canvas 127 x 101.6 cm. (50 x 40 in.)

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 121 Private Collection

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza Christie’s New York, Modern and Contemporary Indian Art, March 21, 2007, [Lot 13] Private Collection Exhibited: The London Arts Group Gallery, Detroit, no. 84

Portrait of a Girl 1965

Two Figures 1965

Signed centre left Oil on board 106.7 x 81.3 cm. (42 x 32 in.)

Signed and dated upper right Oil on cardboard 59.7 x 49.5 cm. (24 x 20 in.)

Provenance: Grosvenor Gallery, London The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No.230 Christie’s London, Modern and Contemporary Indian Art Including Art from Pakistan and Sri Lanka, May 21, 2007, [Lot 53]

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza Christie’s London: The Art of Souza: Property from the Estate of Francis Newton Souza, June 09, 2010, [Lot 110] Private Collection

Literature: A. Kurtha, Francis Newton Souza: Bridging Western and Indian Modern Art, Ahmedabad, 2006, p. 175, illustrated.

Couple in the Dark 1965

Landscape 1965

Oil on canvas 111.6 x 78.7 cm. (44 x 31 in.)

Oil on canvas Signed upper left, inscribed with name, title and date verso 51 x 101.5 cm. (20 x 40 in.)

Provenance: The London Arts Group Gallery, Detroit Aicon Gallery, New York Private Collection Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, Souza: Black Art & Other Paintings, Cat no. 23 The London Arts Group Gallery, Detroit, no. 80

Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, Souza: Black Art & Other Paintings, no.26

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 162 Private Collection

Landscape 1965

Black Landscape 1965

Signed lower left Oil on canvas 76 x 55.8 cm. (30 x 22 in.)

Signed and dated upper left Inscribed SOUZA Black Landscape 1965 on the reverse Oil on board 91.4 x 116.2 cm. (36 x 45¾ in.)

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 161 Private Collection Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, Souza: Black Art & Other paintings, 1964, Cat no. 29

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 81 Christie’s London: The Art of Souza: Property from the Estate of Francis Newton Souza, June 09, 2010, [Lot 35] Exhibited: Detroit, London Arts Gallery, Francis Newton Souza, February 1970, no 81

Landscape in Black 1965

Untitled (Landscape with Black Moon) 1965

Inscribed, F.N. Souza, Landscape in Black 1965 oil on Canvas on the reverse Oil on canvas 49.5 x 90.8 cm. (19 ½ x 35 ¾ in.) Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 177 Christie’s New York: South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, September 12, 2012 [Lot 389] Private Collection

Signed and dated upper left Inscribed F.N. SOUZA 1964 1965 on the reverse Oil on canvas 107.3 x 170.8 cm. (42¼ x 67¼ in.) Provenance: Julian Hartnoll Grosvenor Gallery, London Christie’s London: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art, Monday, June 11, 2013, [Lot 7] Private collection, Mumbai Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, Souza: Black Art & Other Paintings, 1964, Cat no. 24 London, Grosvenor Gallery, Modern Indian Paintings, May 2003, no.12 Illustrated in colour

Night Landscape 1965 Oil on canvas Signed and dated upper right Inscribed. F.N. SOUZA 1965 NIGHT LANDSCAPE on the reverse 60.6 x 50.5 cm. (23 ¾ x 19 ¾ in.) Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 169 Christie’s New York: South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art , March 20, 2013, [Lot 96]

Black Landscape 1965

Landscape with Trees 1965

Oil on board Dated top right 1965 34.2 x 49.5 cm (13 ½ x 19 ½ in.)

Signed and dated upper left Oil on canvas 101.5 x 76 cm. (40 x 30 in.)

Provenance: Maria Souza Shelley Souza

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza Private collection Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, Souza: Black Art & Other Paintings, 1964, Cat no. 27

Black Landscape 1965

Landscape in Black 1965

Signed, dated and titled on the reverse Oil on board 35.6 x 55.9 cm. (14 x 22 in.)

Signed and dated upper right Inscribed F.N. SOUZA LANDSCAPE IN BLACK 1965 on the reverse Oil on board 48.3 x 82.2 cm. (19 x 32 3/8 in.)

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 234 SaffronArt:, Modern and Contemporary Indian Art, June 19, 2012, [Lot 30] Private Collection

38 Landscape with Church 1965 Signed and dated top centre Oil on board 90 x 60 cm. (36 x 24 in.) Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. AK31 Literature: A. Kurtha, Francis Newton Souza; Bridging Western and Indian Modern Art, Ahmedabad, 2006, p. 39, illustrated

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No.78 Christie’s New York: South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, March 23, 2011, [Lot 627]

39 Black Landscape 1965 Signed and dated on the reverse Oil on canvas 76.2 x 101.6 cm. (30 x 40 in.) Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 164

Untitled (Landscape) 1965

Untitled (Coronation) 1965

Oil on canvas 63 x 81.5 cm. (24 ¾ x 32 in.)

Signed and dated centre right Oil on canvas 146 x 148 cm. (57 ½ x 58 in.)

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No 124 Private Collection

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 173 Private Collection

Untitled (Flagellation of Christ), 1965

Still Life 1965

Signed and dated lower left Oil on canvas 121.3 x 175.3 cm. (47 ¾ x 69 in.)

Signed upper left Oil on canvas 56 x 111 cm. (22 x 43 ½ in.)

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 170 Christie’s London, South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, June 09, 2011 [Lot 38] Private Collection, London

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 178 Private Collection

Literature: E. Alkazi, Souza’s Seasons in Hell, Art Heritage No. 6, 1986-1987 p. 77 (a study for this work is illustrated)

Flowers 1965

Vase with Flowers 1965

Signed and dated upper left, Inscribed on the reverse Oil on board 75.5 x 61 cm. (29 ¾ x 24 in.)

Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower left Inscribed on the reverse 61 x 50.5 cm. (24 x 20 in.)

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 80 Private Collection

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 168 Private Collection

Black Valentine 1965

Apples 1965

Oil on canvas Signed upper left, inscribed with name, title and date verso 51 x 101.5 cm. (20 x 40 in.)

Signed and inscribed F. N. SOUZA APPLES 1965 3 x 3 Oil on Board on the reverse Oil on board 91.44 x 91.44 cm. (36 x 36 in.)

Provenance: Private Collection Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, Souza: Black Art & Other Paintings, May-June 1966, Cat no. 19

Still Life in Black 1965

Still Life 1965

Signed and dated lower left Inscribed F. N. SOUZA STILL LIFE IN BLACK - 1965 oil on canvas 30” x 40” COL. Grosvenor Gallery on the reverse Oil on canvas 75.7 x 101.1 cm. (29 ¾ x 39 ¾ in.)

Oil on board Signed and dated lower left Inscribed F. N Souza 1965 oil on board on the reverse 55.9 x 38.7 cm. (22 x 15¼ in.)

Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner Christie’s London: South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, June 9, 2011, Lot 8 Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, Souza: Black Art & Other Paintings, 1964, Cat no. 21 Literature: C. Barrett, Souza Geoffrey Rao: London Commentary by Cyril Barrett, Studio International, May 1966, p. 212, illustrated

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 82 Christie’s New York: South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, September 13, 2011 [Lot 71] Private Collection

Provenance: Maria Souza Shelly Souza Grosvenor Gallery, London, Christie’s London: South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, June 11, 2012, Lot 76 Private Collection Exhibited: New York, Saffronart, F.N. Souza, September–October 2008 New Delhi, Vadehra Art Gallery, Picasso Souza, December–January 2012 Literature: SaffronArt, F.N. Souza, exhibition catalogue, New York, 2008, p. 85, illustrated Grosvenor Vadehra, Picasso Souza, exhibition catalogue, New Delhi, 2012 , p. 42 illustrated

Atoms & Water (black) 1965

Still Life 1965

Titled and dated Atoms and Water 1965 oil on canvas 32 1/2â&#x20AC;&#x153; x 17â&#x20AC;? on the reverse Oil on canvas 81.2 x 43.18 cm. (32 x 17 in.)

Oil on canvas Verso titled, dated and inscribed with the medium and size 75.6 x 50.6cm.

Provenance: The Estate of F.N Souza, Reference No. 174 Private Collection

Provenance: Barbara Zinkant

credits

Copyright ©All images reproduced with the kind permission of the F.N Souza Estate / DACS London. Research Conor Macklin, Kajoli Khanna, Charles Moore Design CHK Design Print Solar Print Process Pvt. Ltd., India Photography Matt Pia

Image Credits ©Grosvenor Gallery Image Numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 34, 35, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49 and 51 ©Christie’s Image Numbers: 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31, 32, 34, 37, 42 and 47 ©Sotheby’s Image Number: 15 ©Saffronart: Image Numbers: 14, 16 and 36 ©Andrew Barklem Image Numbers: 38, 39 and 50 ©Adam Schuster Image Number: 27 Zehra Jumabhoy was the Steven and Elena Heinz Scholar at The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, where she is currently completing her PhD on contemporary Indian art and its intersection with postcolonial theory.

ISBN 978-0-9551696-3-2

Grosvenor Gallery 21 Ryder Street London SW1Y 6PX T +44 20 7484 7979 F +44 20 7484 7980 E art@grosvenorgallery.com grosvenorgallery.com

Grosvenor Gallery