Learn about painter Raja Ravi Varma with this curated list of recommendations

Galaxy of Musicians. Pics Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

Kilimanoor-born Raja Ravi Varma is known to be one of the leading figures in the history of modern art in India. His depictions of the Hindu gods and goddesses went on to influence their portrayal in art and cinema for years. He was celebrated for inventing the first oleograph press, which he set up in Ghatkopar in Mumbai. This gave rise to a massive production of prints of oil paintings, that resembled the original pieces closely. To commemorate his birth anniversary, today, we share what our readers can read, listen to, and watch to get to know the artist better.

Raja Ravi Varma

READ
Prince with a Paintbrush: The Story of Raja Ravi Varma by Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan

Srinivasan's book, illustrated by Rayika Sen, offers a great introduction into the life of Raja Ravi Varma. It tells the story of the seven-year-old Varma, who was often found colouring on the walls, and later, went on to paint for the princes in the royal courts. It has been narrated by a young protagonist, who sits down with her mother one day, and looks up the painter on the Internet. What she finds, fascinates her as she, too, dreams to be a painter. Readers learn about the European realist techniques Varma used and how prints of his paintings made it to middle-class homes through the first lithographic press. Sen's illustrations alongside some of his paintings also make the book interactive for young readers.

Available at all leading e-bookstores

Shantanu and Matsyagandha

LISTEN
Audiogyan's Conversations on design and art (featuring author Manu Pillai)

In this podcast episode, Manu Pillai, author of False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the age of Ravi Varma, speaks about the painter by tracing his journey through five princely states in India in the late 19th century. There are several myths built around the painter as well as the Indian princes; Pillai lists down some, and uncovers the larger picture of what their roles truly were in shaping the political scenario of the nation. We see the painter through a nuanced lens: Raja Ravi Varma, not only as a talented painter, but also as a ‘hustler', an entrepreneur who didn't want to remain a mere aristocrat.

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Rupika Chawla describes a Raja Ravi Varma artwork in a moment from the documentary. Pic Courtesy/YouTube

WATCH
Restoring a Master's Glory, directed by Dr Anandana Kapur

While the book and the podcast episode cast light on his life and paintings, this documentary shows how these paintings have been preserved today. What is the understanding one needs in the work of preservation and care of art that was created more than a century ago? Rupika Chawla, art historian and conservator as well as author of Ravi Varma's biography, takes us through key factors and ethics that one needs to observe to restore such work. In the process, she guides us into the subtleties which Varma worked into the portraits of the people and the fineries he painted. We also get a small glimpse into his initial thoughts while working on some of these, for instance, figurines that were painted over, but that later emerged lightly when the oil paint dried up.

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