Portrait of Madame Blavatska

"Madame Blavatsky was the first person, after a life of many years in India, to see a connection between these 'savages' and our 'civilization.' In that moment rose one of the most important spiritual movements, one which numbers a great many people today, and has even assumed a material from in the Theosophical Society. This society consists of groups who seek to approach the problem of the spirit by way of inner knowledge. Their methods, in opposition to primitivism, derive from an ancient wisdom, which has been formulated with relative precision." (Wassily Kandinsky, Concerning the Spiritual in Art, 1911)

Madame Blavatska [sic] painted in 1968, is another example of Souza's love of portraiture and its possibilities beyond representation, his masterful use of spray paint and his experimention with abstraction. Well read in philosophy, art historical and literary criticism, Souza was quite the autodidact. He was especially interested in understanding India's role in art historical traditions and the contributions of modern Indian artists to the international contemporary art scene of the time. There is no doubt that he must have found theosophy fascinating. Propounded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891), Theosophy deeply influenced many non-representational and abstract artists including, Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrain, and Paul Klee. It is more than fitting for Souza to step outside his strong figurative style for this portrait.