Untitled (Portrait)

F. N. Souza’s contribution to Indian modern art remains unparalleled in that he was one of the pioneers to create a visual language that was deeply personal, created by influences from the west but with a strong perspective of the artist’s own lived experiences. In his portraits, particularly those done in the mid-Fifties and the Sixties, Souza painted at his most liberated, choosing as his subjects—sometimes showing Catholic priests—those that he felt most drawn to, whether to commend or to criticise.