“I believe with all my soul that a true artist paints solely for himself”: so said this remarkable artist. Souza’s friendship with Britten and Pears, and his famous portrait of the latter, inspire this special Festival exhibition.

Born in Goa, India to devout Christian parents, Francis Newton Souza began his art education within the strictures of British colonial art school teaching in Bombay. Pushing against these boundaries he started to take inspiration from modernist practices from Europe.

He began to achieve some acclaim in India but, hoping to gain greater recognition, he moved to London in 1949. After some initial hardship a prolific period followed and he had a number of solo shows. Souza became disappointed by what he felt was general apathy towards contemporary art and culture in the UK, and in 1967 he moved to New York where he spent the rest of his life.

Peter Pears met Souza at a reception after a concert in 1958. Pears commissioned him to paint his portrait and they exchanged letters on the subject. Souza was fascinated with the way Pears sang, which can be seen in the preparatory sketches for the larger-than-life final portrait. “I only hope that my portrait of you will be able to express even a fraction of what you give in song…”

As well as commissioning Souza to paint his portrait, Pears was financially generous towards him, paying over the odds for drawings and buying other works. To show his appreciation Souza donated Harlequin in the City to an art auction at Christie’s in aid of funds for the purchase of an exhibition gallery for the Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts. Unsurprisingly, Pears also bought that picture.

Rather unlike Britten’s view that the art he created should be “useful” Souza said, “I don’t believe that a true artist paints for coteries or for the proletariat. I believe with all my soul that he paints solely for himself.”