Rama Varma was the second son of a great artist, Raja Ravi Varma. He was born in the year 1879 at Mavelikara, Kerala and he grew up during the period when arts, literature and painting flourished immensely and being part of an artists' family greatly helped him to grow as a painter.
Varma drew sketches, portraits, mythological paintings, landscapes and also ordinary moments of life around him. The forms, colours and compositions in his works were his own and the influence of his father can also be seen. Rama Varma proved that life and art are equally important and complementary subjects.