F.N. Souza

This painting reveals none of the later anger or conflict with Christian themes. It has a rare vibrancy of colour with an angelic atmosphere of love and devotion, rooted in the figurative idiom which always remained paramount in his artistic expressions. The next year after his expulsion from the Sir J.J. School of Art he took to oil on canvas and the use of the impasto technique for the first years, before leading and establishing the Progressive Artists Group.

In 1999, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Portrait Of M.F. Husain (1948), offered in the Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings by Bonhams, which concluded on 16 June 1999 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹5,53,341 ($12,812). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2003, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Lovers (1949), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including 20th Century Indian Paintings by Christie's, which concluded on 17 September 2003 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹24,69,430 ($53,753). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Lovers (1955), offered in the Winter Online Auction: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art by Saffronart, which concluded on 08 December 2005 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹6,53,88,400 ($1,411,362). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2015, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Birth (1955), offered in the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art by Christie's, which concluded on 17 September 2015 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹26,93,05,667.5 ($4,085,000). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

The Roman Catholic Church, which dominated religious life in Goa, Souza’s birthplace, had a significant effect on the artist’s life and work. The many churches of the former Portuguese colony, with their overwhelming architecture and impressive rituals, left a lasting impression on him: Souza was fascinated by the splendour of the services, their pomp and ceremony, their use of elaborate ornate symbols, and the grandeur of the priest’s robes and vestments. The icons of suffering saints, and the image of Christ martyred on the cross also deeply affected the artist, repeatedly appearing in his work, albeit in altered forms, throughout his painterly career.

In 2003, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of London At Night (1957), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including 20th Century Indian Paintings by Christie's, which concluded on 17 September 2003 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹20,85,296 ($45,392). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Man With Crown (1957), offered in the Modern Indian Paintings: Winter Online Auction by Saffronart, which concluded on 02 December 2004 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹31,68,563 ($71,655). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Row Of Houses (1957), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including Modern Indian Paintings from The Wilberding Collection by Sotheby's, which concluded on 20 September 2005 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹84,30,720 ($192,000). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Girl With Hairpin And Girdle (1957), offered in the Indian And Southeast Asian Art: Including Modern And Contemporary Indian Art by Christie's, which concluded on 21 September 2005 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹1,25,08,416 ($284,800). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Tortured Indian Woman (1957), offered in the Winter Online Auction: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art by Saffronart, which concluded on 08 December 2005 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹1,28,26,000 ($276,840). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2015, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Man and Woman Laughing (1957), offered in the Evening Sale by Saffronart, which concluded on 10 September 2015 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹16,84,00,000 ($2,529,136.13). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

To me, the images in the Head series represent suffering. I want to make others suffer, to make myself suffer. I have no desire to redeem myself or anybody else because Man is by his very nature unredeemable, yet he hankers so desperately after redemption. I wanted to hang myself on the cross with both my hands and feet nailed to it. To have arrows quivering in my neck like flies, while in the sweetness of lovemaking to repose in absolute bliss, the bliss of Ananda. That is what I have portrayed in these images.

In 1996, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of A Town Scene (1959), offered in the Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings: One Hundred Years by Sotheby's, which concluded on 08 October 1996 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹3,78,352 ($10,626.37). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Red Moon (1959), offered in the Modern Indian Paintings: Winter Online Auction by Saffronart, which concluded on 02 December 2004 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹82,72,125 ($187,068). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2024, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of The Lovers (1960), offered in the South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art: Including Works from the Collection of Umesh and Sunanda Gaur by Christie's, which concluded on 20 March 2024 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹40,63,69,758 ($4,890,000). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2002, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1961), offered in the Saffronart Online Auction by Saffronart, which concluded on 04 December 2002 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹5,85,000 ($12,134). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Man With Cross (1961), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including Modern Indian Paintings from The Wilberding Collection by Sotheby's, which concluded on 20 September 2005 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹1,25,05,568 ($284,800). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Crucifixion (1961), offered in the Winter Online Auction: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art by Saffronart, which concluded on 08 December 2005 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹2,73,94,400 ($591,289). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2023, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Hunger (1961), offered in the The Fine Art Sale: Works from the Glenbarra Art Museum and the Pundole Family Collection by Pundole, which concluded on 31 August 2023 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹30,00,00,000 ($3,628,517.24). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2010, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (Large Head) (1962), offered in the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art by Christie's, which concluded on 15 September 2010 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹6,61,46,805 ($1,426,500). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2014, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of The Butcher (1962), offered in the A Pioneering Vision: Works From The Collection Of Shumita And Arani Bose by Christie's, which concluded on 17 September 2014 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹10,27,07,490 ($1,685,000). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 2025, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Houses in Hampstead (1962), offered in the Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art by Sotheby's, which concluded on 30 September 2025 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹67,45,88,808 ($7,597,379.59). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

Souza is an image-maker – like Rouault and Francis Bacon. His art lies in his power to strengthen the eye’s image of this world by distorting it …

Why does Souza paint obscene pictures? Do I? It all depends on who looks at my pictures. I paint portraits, still lifes, landscapes also. Those who think I’m obsessed with sex are celibates, homosexuals and religious fanatics - people who have an unbalanced attitude towards sex. They don’t seem to be aware that great artists have painted pornographic pictures. One of the last paintings Picasso did was of a woman pissing, derived from an etching done by Rembrandt. Raphael did a whole series of erotic paintings for a cardinal’s bedroom - genitals explicitly treated. If the artist is mentally sick, his work is bound to be bad. Unfortunately the gallerygoers themselves are sick.

The central point to note in regard to his portrayal of the woman is that whichever aspect of her he presents, she is always the other… what is therefore more specifically interesting is how Souza’s habitual attitude of antagonism against the other combines with this conspicuous hedonism. Because of the promised pleasure, the obvious expression of antagonism is suppressed when he paints a woman’s image. He seldom shows her in a sly or evil aspect as he so often shows his male characters. On the contrary, his female figure usually possesses a disarming boldness and the good humour of a generous somewhat gross nature… Naturally one asks whether the simple-minded willingness on the part of a woman to give herself is not a virtue rather than too specially devised for the convenience of man; and whether by suppressing all signs of vulnerability in her image, he is not making her that much less human.

There are times when I wander in the streets late at night or in the early hours of the morning. I avoid being seen at such times because I get beside myself like a lunatic searching for Light, a Glimpse, a fleeting Revelation, a moment of Inspiration, Light, Light in vain, in vain..

The black paintings are more impressive… They are like stained-glass windows, the forms outlined in thick lines like leading. As you move before them and different facets catch the light, they vary in tone, texture (like black velvet) and colour…

Souza used Indian sculpture with more boldness than any of his predecessors … Souza\'s hard, clear, emphatic line serves especially well to delineate the type of woman that he most consistently paints, the whorish woman in all her tough beauty …

In the way he presents his dramatis personae, F.N. Souza is in direct line of descent from the portraitists of the Mannerist School. Pictorial space is handled on the basis of such great mentors as Titian and El Greco, for instance, and among the early moderns, Soutine. It is either simply a thickly painted backdrop that will best show up the portrait or it is an interior, arranged to project the personage in question-intensely characterised, overwrought, and places so as to force a confronation with the viewer. How completely Souza belongs to an early tradition of dramatic portraiture is evidenced by the fact that despite his apprenticeship to Picasso in the matter of style, he completely bypasses the Cubist methods of pictorial construction-where the figure-ground gestalt is an interlocking system, based on a common structural unit, a cube or a plane-which replaces the language of Realism coming down to the figurative artist of the twentieth century all but depleted of its original resource.

In 2003, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Mystical Ebony (1965), offered in the Forty Masterpieces: 20th Century Painting and Drawing from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka by Osian's, which concluded on 27 March 2003 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹15,40,000 ($32,312). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

In 1996, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Man on the Moon (1969), offered in the Contemporary Indian Paintings: From The Chester and Davida Herwitz Charitable Trust Part II by Sotheby's, which concluded on 03 April 1996 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹21,441 ($632). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.

It is sometimes remarked that perhaps all painters stare at the sun which, for them, as the British painter said, is God. Souza for his part did not seem to depend much on sunlight when he worked in his studio or at home in London, until he came to New York in 1967 and then in the early and mid- 70s he pulled off a series of wonderful, bright and breezy ‘countryside’ paintings, out in the open (see Plates 110, 164, 165, 233 and 234). With his repeated emphasis on nature as “the sole principle”, the colours that he concocted for these works seemed almost to rival those of nature itself and certainly outshone artificial ligHe.

In 1983, Souza in the Forties A Rare, Retrospective Exhibition of the Paintings and Drawings Done by Francis Newton Souza marked a major milestone in the exhibition history of F.N. Souza, offering a retrospective survey of the artist's artistic production

In 1984, Retrospective of F. N. Souza Paintings & Drawings of the 1940s marked a major milestone in the exhibition history of F.N. Souza, offering a retrospective survey of the artist's artistic production

In 1987, F. N. Souza Retrospective marked a major milestone in the exhibition history of F.N. Souza, offering a retrospective survey of the artist's artistic production

In 2000, Francis Newton Souza Retrospective II' 1945 to 2000 marked a major milestone in the exhibition history of F.N. Souza, offering a retrospective survey of the artist's artistic production

In 2003, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Osians: Forty Masterpieces (March 2003, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2003, Definitive Retrospective F.N. Souza marked a major milestone in the exhibition history of F.N. Souza, offering a retrospective survey of the artist's artistic production

In 2004, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Modern Indian Paintings (December 2004, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2006, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Bonhams: Works on Paper by Francis Newton Souza (May 2006, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2006, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: Indian Art (September 2006, San Fransisco), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2006, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Christie's: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art (September 2006, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2006, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Modern Indian Art (May 2006, Dubai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2006, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Bonhams: Contemporary Indian and Pakistani Paintings (September 2006, Hong Kong), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2007, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Modern Indian Art (December 2007, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2008, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Osians: Indian Modern & Contemporary Art (January 2008, Hong Kong), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2010, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art (March 2010, New Delhi), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2010, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Christie's: The Art of Souza (June 2010, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2011, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art (December 2011, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2011, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: 99 Modern Paper Works (July 2011, New Delhi), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2011, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Words and Lines (April 2011, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2012, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Osians: Creative India Series 3 (March 2012, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2013, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Francis Newton Souza (September 2013, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2013, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of DAG: Think Masters (November 2013, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2014, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Christie's: South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art (June 2014, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2015, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Evening Sale (September 2015, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2015, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: F N Souza (December 2015, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2016, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Modern Indian Art (March 2016, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2016, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art (October 2016, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2017, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Summer Online Auction (June 2017, New Delhi), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2018, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Sotheby's: Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art (March 2018, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2019, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Modern Indian Art (May 2019, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2019, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Pundole: The Fine Art Sale (December 2019, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2019, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Artiana: Francis Newton Souza (December 2019, Dubai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2021, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Bonhams: Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art (October 2021, London), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2022, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: The Art of India Online Auction (May 2022, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2022, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Masters Legacy (April 2022, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2022, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Prinseps: Modern Art Auction (September 2022, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2022, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Asta Guru: Historic Masterpieces (December 2022, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2022, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Artiana: South Asian Art (June 2022, Dubai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2022, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: Winter Online Auction (December 2022, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

In 2022, an artwork by F.N. Souza was featured on the cover of Saffronart: F N Souza (December 2022, Mumbai), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.