Francis Newton Souza was a lifelong rebel and arguably one of India’s most significant artists. Souza championed complete freedom of expression in content and technique and developed a stark, recognisable style in both his painting and writing. His work in the mid-1950s often featured male figures – eyes set high on the forehead, bearded and pockmarked, their bodies delineated by thick black lines. Often the men are archetypes of priests or Catholic saints. Untitled (1956) could be read alongside Souza’s writing in Words and Lines (1959):
The eyes in the brow the better to see with the brain.
Stars in the face are the scars of smallpox.
Arrows in the neck like flies mean affliction.
The grinding of teeth is not in the day of Resurrection, but today.
The jacket, tie and stiff collar are signs of respectability.
—Latika Gupta
