Goddess LakshmiGoddess Saraswati

Raja Ravi Varma—Painter of Colonial India (1848-1906)

Rare Phenomenon

Charismatic Keralite

India's first Modern Painter

Painter Prince

Marketing Genius

Early Life of the Painter

Born on April 29, 1848, in Kilimanoor, Kerala to Umamba Thampuratti and Neelakantan Bhattathiripad..

He was married to Pururuttathi Nal Bhageerathi Amma Thampuran (Kochu Pangi) of the Royal House of Mavelikara Maharaja of Travancore . And they had two sons & three daughters.

Umamba Thampuratti (Mother)

Kerala

The Young Painter..At the age of 7, he started drawing on the palace walls using charcoal.

Primary education : with the help of Uncle Raja Raja Varma & the ruling king, Ayilyam Thirunal.

Water painting was taught to him by Kilimanoor’s palace painter, Rama Swami Naidu.

Oil painting : was taught by Dutch painter, Theodor Jenson.

Technique : Paints made from leaves, flowers, tree bark and soil.

Kilimanoor palace’s entrance.

Paintings

Portraits Portrait based compositions

Based on myths & legends

Lord Ampthill, Governor of Madras (1905)

Tanjore custom (the feminine emotions being the central theme)

European Realism (oil colours)

Harischandra in Distress

o Elegant and refined look.o Lively Effecto Natural and Realistic

Analysis

• Understanding of colour palletes. •Radiant, impasto jewellery.

• Neat features

• Natural appealing colours.

• Mastery of painting beautiful areas and perfect expressions.

Arjuna & SubhadraDraupadi, in the guise of Syrendri with Virata's wife.

Noteworthy Aspects in his paintings.

o Detailed work on attire and other objects.

Milkmaid (1904)

Victory of Meghanada (1905)

oThe traditional looko Emotion

Analysis

Muses / Inspirations

• He found Indian women beautiful. •When he stayed in Bombay he drew some paintings of Maharashtrian women.

•Fascination for the nine yard Sari. •Stories and moments from the Sanskrit classics such as Dushyanta and Shakuntala, and Nala and Damayanti.

Damayanti Talking to a Swan

Shakuntala – the look of love

ACHIEVEMENTS Awards :-

Twice in Madras Painting Exhibition (1873 & ‘74)Vienna Exhibition (1873)Kaiser-i-Hind Gold Medal by Viceroy Lord Curzon. (1904)

In 1894, Bombay, he started the oleograph press The Ravi Varma Fine Arts Lithographic Press which was later shifter to Lonavala.

He introduced a new medium of oil painting which is known till date.

Total no. of paintings: 170 140-oil paintings

20-oleographs10-lithographic....

Indian stamp honoring Raja Ravi Varma

Painter’s lasts..

• He died on October 2, 1906 (aged 58).

• Cause of death : Diabetes

• Place : Kilimanoor, Travancore, India

• Mysore collection(Mahabharata) was among the last Ravi Varma did. .

"it is rare to come across men like him, artists like him, lovers of India like him".-- Dr. Abanindranath Tagore

Lady Lost in Deep Thought …

Few of Ravi Varma’s best..!

Lady giving Alms.

Romancing Couple Shakuntala Composing a Love Letter to King Dushyanta

Bibliography

• A text from Rupika Chawla’s book “Raja Ravi Varma—Painter of Colonial India.

• A history of Indian painting: the modern period By Krishna Chaitanya

• http://www.cyberkerala.com/rajaravivarma/• http://ravivarma.org (Raja Ravi Varma Art Gallery)• http://www.ravivarmaoleographs.com• www.indianartcircle.com/arteducation/ravi.shtml • http://www.astrojyoti.com/ravivarma.htm• http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/art/raviverma/