Francis Newton Souza — the ‘enfant terrible’ of Modern Indian art

Nishad Avari | Christie’s | 1st September 2025

For Indian art to emerge from under the British influence, it needed strong characters. Souza was one. Co-founding the Progressive Artists Group in 1947, he aspired to create something both modern and Indian. His broad strokes, figurative distortions and “dark exploration” of religion and sex were seen as disruptive, and he moved to London. It was there, ironically, that he produced a torrent of strong work that now underpins his reputation. Says one writer, “Souza created the visual language of modern India”.