Page 13 - The Arts Trust Souza The Centennial

forging a new path that bridged the gap people. Amidst the complexity of witnessing
between art and the masses. Souza’s the liberation tainted by the harrowing
relentless pursuit of artistic autonomy and aftermath, modern artists expressed their
social relevance found no favours with the dissatisfaction by seeking to break free
art establishment, and he faced several from the artistic conventions and exploring
rejections from the Bombay Art Society with unbridled freedom. So, in the spirit
until 1947, a poignant year not only for of collective strength, they formed the
Souza but also for modern Indian art. Progressive Artists’ Group, a union of like-
While the works by Souza in the 1940s minded visionaries determined to carve
showcased his strong political leanings, out a new artistic identity for India. Led by
a work titled View from Crawford Market, Souza, S H Raza, and K H Ara, the group
Bombay stands out as a beautiful exception. initially comprised a handful of members
In this artwork, painted in 1946, Souza but quickly expanded to other artists such
revisits the landscape genre, creating an as M F Husain, H A Gade, and S B Bakre.
idyllic and inviting scene that contrasts Eventually, more artists, including Manishi
sharply with the harsh social realities often Dey, Ram Kumar, Akbar Padamsee, Tyeb
depicted in his other works. This painting Mehta, V S Gaitonde, and Krishen Khanna,
may be one of the few instances where also came into the fold.
Souza portrays the bustling metropolis of The Progressives undertook journeys
Bombay with such romanticism. to broaden their artistic horizons and gain
diverse experiences. A famous recount is
the pag comes to life Souza’s trip with Husain to New Delhi in

The Partition of India in 1947 left a trail 1948 to attend the ‘India Independence
of chaos, and an unparalleled exodus of Exhibition’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Their

Souza’s works were part of important exhibitions,
beginning with the PAG collective and his first
one-man show in 1955... both created quite the stir

His decision to stylize the figures, each December 1945 marked a seminal moment
distinguishable by a spectrum of skin tones, in his career. Held at the Bombay Art
sets this work apart from his depictions of Society, the show was an out-and-out
beggars and street urchins. success and garnered significant attention,
In the work, one can also see the influence including the acquisition of The Blue Lady
of European artists, especially Paul Gauguin by the Baroda Museum. Another painting
and Henri Matisse, whose works Souza titled Ave Maria was acquired by Maria
may have seen in reproductions. The pink Figueiredo, a girl employed by his mother
sky, suggesting dawn, contrasts with the whom Souza would marry two years later.
bright blue sea, yellow boats, and colourful The response also positioned him as a
pennants. Created in 1945, the year of his leading voice in the burgeoning fraternity ‘Portrait of Souza
first solo exhibition, this painting marks of artists in Bombay. Fostering a sense of 1’, an acrylic on
the beginning of his journey to becoming brotherly camaraderie, he leveraged the canvas (48 x 60 in)
a celebrated master of modern Indian art. support of his contemporaries to champion painted in 2005 by
Souza’s debut solo exhibition in overthrowing artistic conventions and Manu Parekh

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