Important Notice

Souza has referred frequently to the profound impact of the Roman Catholic Church on his life and art. For him, it is "...not its dogmas but its grand architecture and the splendour of its services...The wooden saints painted with gold and bright colours staring vacantly out of their niches. The smell of incense, and the enormous crucifix ..." (F N Souza, Words and Lines, London: Villiers, 1959, p. 10) In the present lot, Souza paints a... Souza has referred frequently to the profound impact of the Roman Catholic Church on his life and art. For him, it is "...not its dogmas but its grand architecture and the splendour of its services...The wooden saints painted with gold and bright colours staring vacantly out of their niches. The smell of incense, and the enormous crucifix ..." (F N Souza, Words and Lines, London: Villiers, 1959, p. 10) In the present lot, Souza paints a benevolent Christ dressed in an ornate red robe, his frontal gaze reminiscent of 'the wooden saints' or Byzantine icons. Although the subject retains the high-set eyes and tubular nose of the artist's more critical renditions, this Christ is sombre and melancholic. Set against a quiet village landscape, Souza offers a peaceful portrait conveying little of his cynicism and prejudices. Instead, this large painting conveys the largely concealed sense of religious awe that Souza rarely revealed. "Some of the most moving of Souza's paintings are those which convey a spirit of awe in the presence of a divine power..." (Edwin Mullins, F N Souza, London: Anthony Blond Ltd., 1962, p. 40)

HAROLD KOVNER

In 1956, Souza found his first major patron, the wealthy American collector and hospital owner Harold Kovner, through a gallery in Paris. Having arrived from New York looking for new artists, Kovner went to Gallery Iris Clert, but was unimpressed by their collection of abstracts. The eponymous gallery owner possessed several paintings by Souza, and showed some of these works to Kovner with some reluctance. "Kovner jumped. Within 24 hours he had met Souza, given him money, taken away some pictures, made arrangements for the future, and was flying back to New York. The arrangement was a perfectly simple one. Souza was to keep him supplied with pictures every few months - entirely of the artist's choosing - and in return Kovner would keep him supplied with money." (Edwin Mullins, F N Souza, London: Anthony Blond Ltd., 1962, p. 26)

The duration of this patronage, which lasted four years, was creatively and artistically, the most energizing period of Souza's career. Kovner's regular stipend relieved Souza of financial troubles, allowing him more freedom to paint than ever before. Kovner's support during this critical period was a time of unprecedented inventiveness for the artist. The present lot was part of Kovner's original collection of Souza paintings.

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