Madonna (1942) Oil on Canvas: 45cm x 35cm
(Courtesy Ivy da Fonseca)
St. Anne and Mary (1954) Watercolour: 28cm x 19cm
(Courtesy Ivy da Fonseca)
Nativity (1954) Watercolour: 28cm x 20cm
(Courtesy Xavier Center for Historical Research)
Epiphany (1962) Watercolour: 38cm x 28cm
(Coutesy Jesuitenmission, Nurnberg)
Christ the New Temple (1954) Watercolour: 28cm x 19cm
(Courtesy Xavier Center for Historical Research)
Madonna and Child (1960) Oil on Canvas: 60cm x 45cm
(Courtesy Ivy da Fonseca)
Woman with Haemorrhage (1955) Watercolour: 38cm x 28cm
(Courtesy Ivy da Fonseca)
FONSECA
Délio Mendonça
The life and art of the master modernist Angelo da Fonseca (1902–67) who created an astounding native Christian iconography. His work blended Eastern and Western influences with his own Goan sensibility to build a counter-narrative to that of the West as the arbiter of beauty and artistic creativity.
252 Pages • 8.5" × 11.5"
• Over 120 full-color plates •
• Printed on 170 gsm India Art Matte Paper •
• Weight: 1.75 kg •
To commemorate the 120th birth anniversary of this master modernist, a series of exhibitions of his work and viewing of the pre-publication copies of this book are being held. View the Dates and Venues of the exhibition schedule.
View images of the Inauguration at the hands of H.E. Rev. Filipe and the ongoing exhibition at the Central Library Hall, Panaji, Goa.
Price
Ships immediately
| Number of Copies | Price per copy (in INR ₹) |
|---|---|
| One or more | 2400 |
| Three or more | 2325 |
| Five or more | 2250 |
| Ten or more | 2175 |
| Twenty-five or more | 2100 |
| Fifty or more | 2000 |
Packing and Regd. Postage
| Destination | Price per copy (in INR ₹) |
|---|---|
| Within Goa | 60 |
| Within India | 120 |
| Outside India | 1600 |
Angelo Fonseca — The Artist
The great, but unfairly overlooked master artist Angelo da Fonseca (1902–67) was an essential bridge figure between the Bombay and Bengali schools of Indian modernism, the creator of an astounding Christian iconography that seamlessly blended both Eastern and Western influences via his own Goan sensibility, and an essential early modernist of immense global significance.
The master's counter-narrative to colonialist impositions always held that the West was never the only cradle of beauty and artistic creativity. His own work represents a synthesis of the finest artistic and humanistic traditions in the country, and far beyond to Italy and Japan. His oeuvre indicates a manifestly unusual confluence and unmistakenly ground-breaking path rendered in sublime, minimalist lines, colours, and compositions.
Although recent years have seen Fonseca return to some kind of attention from art history, his works have never been widely seen, and his historical importance has never ben adequately assessed. This book corrects both these anomalies. It recounts the milestone achievements of the life of the greatest artist that you have never heard of, and it is also the story of Goa and its uneasy relationship with its talented and famous artists.
Public Exhibitions
Schedule and Venues
This year, is the 120 anniversary of the birth of the Goan artist Angelo da Fonseca. It is being celebrated with a major Exhibition of his work.
The exhibition begins at Club Harmonia Margao from 10th June 2022 till 2rd July and then it will move to the Central Library in Panaji from 9th of July 2022 till the 6th of August.
This book will be released on the final day of the exhibition. An advance copy of the book will be available for viewing at the exhibitions and pre publication orders will be taken.
The Author - Délio Mendonça
Délio Mendonça is a Jesuit Priest who was born in Beira, Mozambique in 1958. After completing his schooling in Portuguese in Mozambique, he moved to his ancestral Goa in 1977 and began his priestly formation in 1979.
He has a Masters' degree in History and in Portuguese Literature and Culture (Goa), and a Ph.D in History (Pune). While serving as the Director of the Xavier Centre of Historical Research in Goa, he also taught Portuguese Literature and Culture at Goa University.
He is the author of the seminal Conversions and Citizenry: Goa under Portugal 1510–1610, Currently he teaches History of the Church at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome
The Publisher -
Architecture Autonomous
Architecture Autonomous is an architectural firm based in Goa. We also manage a publishing wing which publishes books on Art, Architecture and Goa.
Among our well known books are Houses of Goa (1999), Guide to the Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent (2003), Mario de Miranda (2008) and The Indo-Portuguese House ( 2013).
Fonseca (2022) by Délio Mendonça is our fourteenth book
Juliana D'Sa, a younger contemporary of the artist, releasing the book
The book was released by Juliana D'Sa, a younger contemporary of the artist at the hall of the Central Library, Panaji, Goa on August 6, 2022. The exhibition of Fonseca's work concluded that evening.
During the program, the author Rev. Dr. Délio Mendonça spoke on the artist's work and its relevance today. The publisher Gerard da Cunha also spoke on the occasion about the motivation for the publication.