FRANCIS NEWTON SOUZA (1924-2002)

Francis Newton Souza immigrated to New York in September 1967 and began to experiment with new techniques, and styles. Flowers in a Blue Vase, rather than being defined by the formalism of black lines, is entirely subsumed by bright colours and heavy impasto brushwork. Souza anoints the sumptuous surface of the painting with generous rich gems of colour squeezed straight from the tube. This direct application of thick paint creates this jewel of a painting and what Souza himself described as "'Creative Joy' despite a world filled with tragedy, wars, suffering, and death." (F.N. Souza, Diary, 31 May 1971)