Keechaka and Sairendri

Ravi Varma Press1890

Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation
Bengaluru, India

A scene from the Mahabharata, where Keechaka, the brother-in-law of King Virata and the commander-in-chief of Matsya’s army, tries to force himself on Draupadi. The Pandavas are in hiding in Matsya and have taken shelter in King Virata’s palace. Draupadi disguises herself as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Sudeshana. Keechaka is enchanted by her beauty and is obsessed with the thought of possessing her. This reproduction of the famous work depicts a scene from the epic where the lustful Keechaka advances upon Draupadi and tries to possess her physically.

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Details

Title: Keechaka and Sairendri
Creator: Ravi Varma Press
Date Created: 1890
Physical Dimensions: 35 x 50 cm
Type: Reproduction
Original Source: From the Sandeep & Gitanjali Maini Foundation
Rights: Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation, Bengaluru
Medium: Print
Art Genre: Print
Labels and Inscriptions: Ravi Varma Press, Karla, Lonavala
Creator's Lifetime: 1848-04-29/1906-10-02
Collection: Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation, Bengaluru
About the Artist: Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906), India’s foremost artist, who took art to the masses, hailed from Kilimanoor, in the erstwhile state of Travancore. From a very young age, Ravi Varma, was drawn towards art, imbibing techniques from his uncle and mentor Raja Raja Varma and his mother, Umayamba Bayi, a poet in her own right. Varma was much sought after by the Royals and owing to his popularity and reputation, his spectacular and richly-textured works were prolific. His realistic portrayals of contemporary figures and interpretations of religious and mythological figures fetched him instant and enduring success, lifting his standing in the art world. If the Royals and his countrymen were in awe of this great talent, the international world was spellbound by his imagination and creativity. He ensured that art would be accessible to all, through reproductions of his paintings which were made available, and affordable to everyone.

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Kichaka