Born in 1924, Souza is best known for being one of the founding members of the Progressive Artists Group. Francis Newton Souza’s ‘Goan Village’ is an early masterpiece of the
Growing up, Souza was raised by his mother and was sent to a strict Jesuit school. He, later on, went to St. Xavier’s College in Bombay where he was expelled for his rebellious
When Souza was attending art school, he complained that the teachers there were too strict. They did not like to explore the
Souza was not only influenced by western art movements but he was also influenced by the political changes that were happening in India at the time. Souza had witnessed the Bengal Famine of 1943, the Indian Naval Mutiny of 1943, and the Quit India Movement of 1942 by Gandhi.
After leaving Bombay, he went back to his Goa to paint in his own style without his teachers telling what he could or couldn't do. He spent a couple of months in a Goan village where he painted scenes that he saw. He completed an entire folio of work and exhibited it in 1945. The exhibition that was held in The Bombay Art Society was well attended and he sold the
In 1947, Souza, Raza,
Goa played an important role in Souza’s art. Living there, he was not only exposed to churches (Souza was a Catholic) but also the temples, mosques, and the native tribes there. His early works drew inspiration from his Goan roots and featured men and women from the area, its markets, fields,
The painting reflects his bold use of
Untitled (Goan village)
1948
Signed and dated ‘Souza 1948’ upper left and inscribed and dated FN SOUZA 1948 (verso)
Gouache on paper
21 in x 14 in
Estimate: 35,00,000 - 40,00,000 INR
Provenance: Private collection, Delhi
Published and Exhibited in ‘Souza in the 40s’ by Grosvenor Gallery and Saffronart