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Raja Ravi Varma
The royal who became the most iconic Indian artist of all time (1848-1906)
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5 Things to Know About Raja Ravi Varma
He's one of India's greatest ever painters, but do you know the details?
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The artist who filled our homes with color
Raja Ravi Varma brought color to the people with his pioneering mass printing in India
Reds
Blues
Greens
Yellows
Oranges
See Varma's rainbow
Explore Raja Ravi Varma's art through color
Pick your favorite
Meet the master
Learn more about the father of modern Indian art
Meet the artist
A Royal-Turned-Painter
His early life in the palace, secret art lessons and his challenging decision to pursue his artistic talents
His works
Raja Ravi Varma: Portrait of an Artist
Potrait of the artist through the journals kept by his brother
His career
Influences and Inspirations
Dive deeper into his artistic profession
Visit his home
Retrace His Steps
Explore the Kilimanoor Palace where he was born and raised
Emotions that tell a tale
Interpretations
Reclaiming Power
Look closer in 'Sita Bhumi Pravesh' through the eyes of Radhikaraje Gaekwad, the titular Maharani of Baroda
Interpretations
Emotive Portraits
Explore 'nayikas', or heroines, through the eyes of Dr. Swarnamalya Ganesh, dance artiste and scholar
Can you feel the music?
7 Musical Instruments in Varma's Paintings
How music is instrumental to the Indian master's work
Listen and look
Go on a guided tour of his artworks to the tune of Indian classical music
Music + Art
Zoom into 'Madri' to the Sound of Indian Ragas
Music + Art
Varma's Masterpieces + Classical Music
Music + Art
Sit Back and Relax with 'Radha'
Music + Art
'Mahananda' Meets Indian Classical Music
Music + Art
'Menaka Shakuntala' to the sound of the 'Sacred Sitar'
Painting or photograph?
The realism of Ravi Varma's artistic process
A Closer Look at the Life-Like Details
Ravi Varma's skill at portraiture resulted in photo-like paintings of his subject
6 Portraits With Eyes That Follow You
Get close to the Indian master's portraits and see them look right back
Side by side
Photographer G Venket Ram recreates some of Ravi Varma's iconic works in photographs
Through the looking glass
How Ravi Varma mirrored every day life in his art
8 Powerful Emotions Painted by Raja Ravi Varma
Experience the full emotional spectrum with India's master of mood
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Preliminary Sketches
The Challenge of Capturing Ordinary Life
Rare glimpses of everyday scenes and moments inside common homes
Jewels of the Era
The Sparkle In Ravi Varma's Portraits
Discover the culture and traditions behind the accessories in the artworks
What every wall needs
Calendars with the power of the gods
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Chronicling Time Through Ravi Varma's Art
The innovative way Ravi Varma's prints were used for advertisements
Explore
When the Gods Came Home
How his paintings were turned into textile labels
Explore his everyday scenes
From chores, to prayers, to haircuts
The Toddy Tapper
Village Belle
The Miser
Dancing Girl
Washing Clothes
Study of a Woman's Face
The Water Carrier
The Incense Bearer
A Parsi Couple
A Barber
Gypsies of South India- Preliminary Study
Preparatory Study for Keechaka
Washing Clothes
Muslims at Prayer
A Study of a Warrior Making an Entrance
The Traveller and a Study
Woman At The Tap
The Fakir
Sketch Of A Young Girl
Crossing The River
Pencil sketch of a turbaned man
A Sleeping Woman
Sketch Of A Lady
A Young Scholar
Man Reading A Book
Drawing of a woman reading a book
A Soldier
Woman Reclining On The Waterfront
Stolen Interview
Disappointed
The Gypsies of South India (Poverty)
Damayanti and the Hamsa
Birth of Shakuntala
Shantanoo and Matsyagandha
Arjuna Subhadra
Shakuntala with Her Companion
Shakuntala Patralekhana
Shivaji
Shakuntala Dushyanta
Saraswati Vinolia Soap Calendar
Victory of Indrajit
Sita (probably from the Ramayan)
Ganapathi Riddhi Siddhi
Draupadi and the Enchantress Simhika
Lakshmi Vinolia soap calendar
Sesha Narayana
Ganga Bhishma
Malati
Lakshmi
Tara Devi
Lankadahan Hanuman
Kurma Avatar
Yashoda Krishna
Flowers for hours
Lose yourself in Ravi Varma's colorful natural world
Enchanting Floral tales
The Enchanting Floral Details You Might've Missed
Explore the different ways Ravi Varma used botanical motifs
Beauty of Bloom on Canvas
What Do Ravi Varma's Flowers and Fruit Tell Us?
Ravi Varma's paintings present a rich context for understanding the use of plants in art and design in India
Can you pick out the petals?
Spot the flowers in Ravi Varma's works
Fans in high places
The people in the pictures
His career
Painting For Princes and Palaces
The royal patrons from Udaipur to Kerala who made it all possible
The Royal Patrons
Putting India's Most Famous Faces on Canvas
Meet the aristocratic admirers who sought commissions from India's most renowned artist
Online Exhibit
Unseen Original Portraits
Portraits of important associates of the artist have come to light through the course of the Foundation's research. This story showcases some of these never before seen works.
Online Exhibit
The World of Raja Ravi Varma: Princes & Patrons
Explore the portraits
Power poses, props, and passion
What Are Yashodha and Krishna Pointing At?
Discover how Ravi Varma interpreted the time-old theme of mother and chlid
Is This Painting The Original?
What came first: 'The Coquette' or 'Lady With a Fruit'?
Is This Anjanibai Malpekar?
Who is the Bombay Songstress...
What Broke Her Heart?
What caused her such disappointment?
Raja Ravi Varma
Woman With Melancholy Expression
Woman Holding a Fruit
Portrait of a Lady
Woman Holding a Fan
The Maharani of Travancore
The Maharaja of Travancore welcoming the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
Rai Pannalal Mehta
Kadambari
Madri or the Maharashtrian Lady with Fruit
Mahasveta
Portrait of Seth Lachman Das, CIE
Maharaja and Maharani of Mysore
Maharani Lakshmi Bayi
The Negotiation
Prints with a difference
How Ravi Varma revolutionised the way art was distributed in India
A household name
How Ravi Varma Set Up a Printing Press to Make 'Art For All'
His aim to art bring Indian customs, dress, and heritage to the world
Discover History
The Story of Ravi Varma's Printing Press
How a German lithographic press made its way to India
Embellished Prints
Gods and Their Jewels
How Ravi Varma embellished his prints with sequins, beads and shimmering threads
Earliest Chromolithographs
125 Years of the Ravi Varma Press
A look back at some of Ravi Varma's most popular prints
Explore the postcards, textile labels and matchbox art
Ravi Varma goes global
Malati (Postcard)
Ravi Varma Stamp
Match box label album sheet 3
Postcard of Malati in Colour
Postcard depicting Saraswati
Textile label featuring Rambha
Textile label featuring a woman
Textile label produced for Chettle, Holt & Co. Ltd. and E. E. Pappadimitriou & Co. Ltd., depicting Hanuman
Textile label produced for Madras Import Co., Madras, featuring an episode from the Ramayana
Textile label produced for Madras Import Co., Madras, featuring Krishna
Textile label produced for Madras Import Co., Madras, featuring Rama
Textile label produced for Madras Import Co., Madras, featuring Rama
Textile label produced for Khetsidass Tilokchand, Calcutta, featuring an episode from the Ramayana
Textile label featuring the scene of Vishwaroopam Darshan
Textile label produced for Best & Co. Ltd., Madras, depicting the Birth of Shakuntala
Textile label produced for Graham Co., Manchester depicting the Rampanchayatham
Match box label album sheet 2
Match box label album sheet 5
Match box label album sheet 4
Match box label album sheet 1
A sketch in time
The first steps in bringing his subjects to life
The details
Rare Sketches That Reveal Ravi Varma's Process
Drawings that reveal Ravi Varma's meticulous eye for detail
Sketches for Portrait Studies
The Master Strokes of a Perfectionist
His eye for detail and perfection that tolerated no mistake, even from his own brush
Old drawings, new tricks
Explore contemporary interpretations of Raja Ravi Varma's art
Khadi a Canvas: The Making
A short documentary on the making of Khadi A Canvas and the methodology behind the project.
Making of Ganapati Textile
Weavers at work painstakingly recreating Ravi Varma's image of Ganapati, in Jamdani weave
Making of Ganapathi with Riddhi and Siddhi
The image of Ganpati with his consorts Riddhi and Siddhi being woven in Jamdani onto the saree pallu
Encounters with the Botanical Book
A fascinating study of the botanical elements in Raja Ravi Varma's works
Santati - Then. Now. Next
A celebration of Gandhi featuring sarees woven with Ravi Varma's iconic works
Making of Dhruv Narayan
Gaurang Shah
Inspiring a new generation
Discover Ravi Varma's lasting legacy
Learn About The Painters Who Followed in his Footsteps
See how other artists adopted and developed Ravi Varma's trademark techniques
An Imprint on Time
The influence of Ravi Varma's chromolithographs on advertising and later popular artists
Weaving A Tale Beyond The Canvas
How Ravi Varma's masterpieces are reinvented into textiles
Are you a Teacher or Parent?
A downloadable lesson plan that can be used by teachers in class or by students to work through at their own pace
The Life and Art of Raja Ravi Varma
Lesson Plan
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