Francis Newton Souza was one of modern India’s leaders of art and is known for his organic and complex growth in his works. In 1976, Souza migrated to New York and redefined his style of art.
It was there that he developed his style of bold lines and cross-hatchings. Souza was known for his head portraits and also went on to use chemical alteration and mixed media on posters and magazine covers. The chemical alterations were a method by which he used a chemical solvent on printed paper without destroying the surface. The ‘Souza head’ became one of his signature styles where he depicted a distorted head. Here, we can see Souza’s individuality and style defined and established with a felt pen on a Christmas poster which has some chemical alterations.
Francis Newton Souza (1924 - 2002)
1994, Chemical alteration / mixed media on Christmas poster, 11 x 9 in.
Estimate: 2,00,000 - 3,00,000 INR
Provenance: Private collection, Delhi
Comparison:
Untitled (each), 1991
Mixed media (chemical alteration/paper)
Hammer price: INR 311,795
Estimate: INR 200,000 - INR 250,000
Asta Guru, 20 Sep 2011
