Untitled (Man with Wool Beard)

Instances of black figuration in Souza's work surfaced first during the mid-1950s and continued throughout the artist's stay in London, culminating in the entire exhibition of black paintings, entitled Black on Black at Grosvenor Gallery, London in 1966. Souza used black to deliberately build up the paint's surface, creating a relief-like texture to the canvases that borders on the sculptural. Painted in circa 1965, Souza's black heads presented here highlight his masterful precision of line and form, and skillful application of impasto. Many critics have suggested that Souza's black paintings represent a pinnacle of creativity for the artist.