Raja Ravi Varma was born in April 1848 at Kilimanoor, Kerala, to a family connected to Travancore's royals. He used to sketch animals and ordinary sceneries on the walls from an early age, using indigenous colours derived from natural resources such as leaves, flowers, and mud. Raja Raja Varma, his uncle, recognized this and supported him. Patronized by Travancore's then-ruler Ayilyam Thirunal, he learned watercolor painting from royal painter Ramaswamy Naidu and then oil painting from Dutch artist Theodore Jensen. Raja Ravi Varma is regarded as one of the best painters in Indian art history. He is well-known for his depictions of episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics. Raja Ravi Varma is most known for his paintings of lovely sari-clad ladies who are shown as shapely and elegant. He is seen as contemporary by traditionalists and rationalist by moderns.
How he popularized Indian art?
Raja Ravi Varma desired to bring his art to the public, which prompted him to establish a Lithographic Press in Bombay in 1894. According to reports, Sir T Madhava Rao, previous Dewan of Travancore and afterwards Baroda, suggested to Varma in a letter that because he couldn't fulfil the high demand for his art, he should send some of his favourites to Europe and have them manufactured as oleographs. Varma, on the other hand, elected to start his own printing press. The Birth of Shakuntala was reputedly the first image produced at Varma's factory, followed by countless mythical characters and saints such as Adi Shankaracharya.
In 1901, Ravi Varma sold the printing machine to Fritz Schleicher, a German lithographer who continued to produce lithographs. The prints' appeal lasted until current times, with Varma's style inspiring artists who drew the classic comic book series Amar Chitra Katha.
Great Paintings of Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma produced many masterpieces of art during his life. Here is a comprehensive list of some of the most prominent works of Raja Ravi Varma:
A Family of Beggars
Arjuna and Subhadra
Damayanti Talking to a Swan
Jatayu, a bird devotee of Lord Rama is mauled by Rawana
Lady with Fruit
Lord Krishna as Ambassador
Lady Lost in Thought
Shakuntala
Swarbat Player
The Orchestra
Victory of Meghanada
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