FRANCIS NEWTON SOUZA (1924-2002)

Jagdish Swaminathan describes Souza's cityscapes as "singularly devoid of emotive inhibitions." They are the "congealed visions of a mysterious world. Whether standing solidly in enamelled petrification or delineated in thin colour with calligraphic intonations, the cityscapes of Souza are purely plastic entities with no reference to memories or mirrors." (J. Swaminathan, 'Souza's Exhibition', Lalit Kala Contemporary 40, New Delhi, March 1995, p. 31)
Landscape in Red conjures an alternate reality beyond human existence. Souza’s signature black line cuts across the blood red background demarcating corniced buildings, piercing steeples and architectonic forms. Rooftops cut sharply into the translucent, glowing sky, suggesting not harmony but a tumultuous battle between two dissonant elements as evidenced through the artist's savage brushstrokes and fiery palette. The inference of the Catholic church which informed so much of Souza's oeuvre is pronounced.
Landscape in Red belongs to a series of works executed upon Souza’s return from a six-month Italian government sponsored residence in Rome in 1960. Painted in 1961, the powerful impact of half a year at the epicenter of Catholicism is clear as the present work resonates with ecclesiastical grandeur. The red monochromatic palette alludes to the vestments of the upper echelons of the Church and also its stained-glass windows. The repeated domes in this work refer to Saint Peter's at the heart of the Vatican, and appear in several works of the period. Landscape in Red truly demonstrates an artist at the technical and creative peak of his powers, with unrivalled technical ability as a painter to express a deep and complex range of emotions.