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"As for my art, I can confidently say that I am not
influenced by anyone and that I am not experimenting."
F N SOUZA
The present lot, similar to some of Souza’s works from the early 1950s, depicts a womanwith a ponytail and demure countenance.
Painted in 1951, just two years after Souza had moved to England and was still trying to find his feet in the art world, it is a
sombre and somewhat circumspect portrayal. It would be a few years, till 1955, when Souza had his first show at Gallery One,
and began one of his most productive phases as an artist.
The elongated hairstyle and pupil‒less eye are elements which Souza explored in other paintings from this period. In his
figurative works, especially those of women, Souza drew inspiration from a range of influences — from South Indian bronzes
and classical Indian art, to works of Spanish Romanesque painters, which he encountered after moving to London in 1950. In
the present lot, one sees influences of Indian sculptural forms as well as Picasso’s paintings of similar subjects. Souza uses his
famed crosshatching technique in the bird’s tail feathers.
F N Souza and Krishna Menon at an exhibition at India House, London, 1951
Profile of a Woman
, 1952
Saffronart, 9‒10 December 2009, lot 9
Sold for Rs 99 Lakhs ($215,625)
35
F N SOUZA
(1924 ‒ 2002)
Untitled
Signed and dated 'Souza 1951' (lower right)
1951
Gouache and oil on paper pasted on board
20.5 x 13.75 in (52 x 35 cm)
Rs 60,00,000 ‒ 80,00,000
$ 95,240 ‒ 126,985
PROVENANCE:
Gallery One, London
Private Collection, UK