Francis Newton Souza

Francis Newton Souza's biographer Edwin Mullins reflected that the artist's landscapes 'are often distorted to the point of destruction - houses no more than lopsided cubes... but they never threaten to dissolve into formalized abstract shapes. The violence and speed with which they were executed keep these images, however distorted, in touch with the painter's vision of what they really are.' (E. Mullins, Souza, Anthony Blond Ltd., London, 1962, p. 37)

In 1960, Francis Newton Souza was awarded a scholarship by the Italian Government, enabling him to study and travel to many European cities, including Rome, Madrid, and Amsterdam. This mixture of architectural influences coalesced with the motifs of his home in London and formed the framework for his compositions during this time. European churches – as well as the stained-glass windows of Goa – constituted inspirations for Souza. The current lot, painted in 1961, is suffused with the colourful influences of Souza’s earlier period when he painted in Goa whilst displaying the cityscapes of his new, European home.

One of Souza’s greatest talents is his handling of thick impasto and the current lot, with its richly textured and feathered paint surface, is a masterful example. Swatches of vibrant red, cool blue, bright yellow and white counteract Souza’s trademark thick black lines, emphatically carved into the paint. These contours emphasize the branches and leaves across the surface, cutting in front of a horizontal row of red houses, perhaps one of Souza’s depictions of leafy Hampstead in London. Despite the apparent angst of these early cityscapes there is also an evident joy in the use of thick oils applied liberally to the canvas or board, with layers of colour built upon one another and then merged together with swift strokes of the brush or knife.