413 - Francis Newton Souza (Indian, 1924-2002) Untitled (Female Nude) signed u.r. and dated '82' u.r., chemical alteration and ink on magazine paper (visible 26.7 x 20.4cm) Provenance: Acquired by the present vendor's father from Dhoomimal Gallery and accompanied by a signed certificate from the gallery; thence by descent; a private collection, Surrey. Footnote: Francis Newton Souza was a founding member of the Progressive Artists' Group, established in Mumbai in 1947, which sought to establish a new language for modern Indian art through the synthesis of Indian artistic traditions and European modernism. Born in Goa, Souza moved to London in 1949, where the difficult early years of his career were followed by his breakthrough solo exhibition at Gallery One in 1955. Souza developed a distinctive, highly expressive visual language characterised by emphatic black outlines, distorted forms and vigorous, often heavily worked surfaces. His recurring subjects included portraits, female nudes, landscapes, still lifes and Christian imagery, reflecting both his Goan Catholic upbringing and his engagement with European modernism. Souza developed his distinctive chemical alteration technique during the late 1960s, particularly after moving to New York in 1967. Rather than applying conventional paint, Souza treated printed paper, often magazine pages, advertisements and other found material, with a chemical solvent, selectively dissolving or bleaching the surface to create areas of tonal contrast. He frequently combined these altered passages with bold black pen or felt-tip outlines, producing the heavily stylised heads and figures that became characteristic of his later works on paper.