The Nala-Damayanti series was one of the many jewels in Ravi Varma's crown. Damayanti was a subject that he repeated, tracing the path of her life from a young girl to a married woman. He has portrayed Damayanti in various moods: happy, sad, and in absolute distress. Ravi Varma painted this in 1899, and it hangs in the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, Thiruvananthapuram. Seven years later, Ravi Varma painted The Swan Messenger specifically for the Mysore Palace collection. It hangs in the Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery Trust, Mysore.