Lot 209: FRANCIS NEWTON SOUZA (1924-2002), LOUIS ARMSTRONG, 1956, PEN AND INK ON PAPER.
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A portrait of the jazz musician Louis Armstrong by Francis Newton Souza, executed in black pen and ink on toned, light brown paper. The work is rendered in the artist’s signature graphic style, utilising dense, architectural cross-hatching and jagged, intersecting lines to define the subject. The bust-length portrait depicts Armstrong wearing a suit and necktie, with a distinctive wide-mouthed expression and eyes positioned high on the forehead. The drawing features a handwritten signature in black ink at the upper right reading Souza 56 under a horizontal line. The subject is further identified by ink inscriptions at the bottom: Louis underlined at the lower left and ARMSTRONG underlined at the lower right. The paper is mounted with a black mat and housed in a gilt-finished wooden frame.
Approximately 53.5 x 43.4cm
Condition report:
The paper shows significant overall toning and darkening consistent with age. There is visible moisture staining and darkening along the upper edge of the paper (photo 1). Light scattered foxing marks are present throughout the composition. The paper appears slightly buckled within the mount. The gilt-finished frame shows minor losses and abrasions to the gilding, particularly at the corners and along the edges (photo 2).
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