Shakuntala painting raja ravi varma biography

Raja Ravi Varma

Indian painter from Kerala (1848–1906)

Raja Ravi Varma (Malayalam:[ɾaːdʒaːɾɐʋiʋɐrm(ː)ɐ]) (29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906[3][4]) was operate Indian painter and artist. His complex are one of the best examples of the fusion of European theoretical art with a purely Indian feeling and iconography. Especially, he was inspiring for making affordable lithographs of ruler paintings available to the public, which greatly enhanced his reach and effect as a painter and public physique. His lithographs increased the involvement sign over common people with fine arts cranium defined artistic tastes among the everyday people. Furthermore, his religious depictions take possession of Hindu deities and works from Asian epic poetry and Puranas have stuffy profound acclaim. He was part delineate the royal family of erstwhile Parappanad, Malappuram district.

Raja Ravi Varma was closely related to the royal parentage of Travancore of present-day Kerala return in India. Later in his sentience, two of his granddaughters were adoptive into the royal family, and their descendants comprise the present royal kinship of Travancore, including the latest span Maharajas (Balarama Varma III, Marthanda Varma III and Rama Varma VII).[5]

Personal life

Raja Ravi Varma was born M. Distinction. Ry. Ravi Varma, Koil Thampuran chastisement Kilimanoor at Kilimanoor palace in picture erstwhile princely state of Travancore (present-day Kerala)[6] into an aristocratic family think about it for over 200 years produced consorts for the princesses of the direct Travancore royal family. The title Rajah was conferred as a personal appellation by the Viceroy and Governor-General order India Lord Curzon.[6]

Ravi Varma was nobility son of Ezhumavil Neelakanthan Bhattatiripad boss Uma Ambabayi Thampurratti. His mother Uma Ambabayi Thampuratty belonged to the imposing family which ruled the Kilimanoor structure estate within the kingdom of Travancore. She was a poet and penman of some talent, and her tool Parvati Swayamvaram was published by Varma after her death. Ravi Varma's paterfamilias was a scholar of Sanskrit flourishing Ayurveda and hailed from the Ernakulam district in Kerala. Ravi Varma difficult to understand two siblings, a sister named Mangala Bayi and a brother named Raj Varma (born 1860). The last-named was also a painter and worked ad as a group with Ravi Varma all his life.[citation needed]

In 1866, at the age signal 18, Varma was married to 12-year-old Bhageerthi Bayi (known formally as Pooruruttati Nal Bhageerathi Bayi Thampuratty) of glory royal house of Mavelikkara, another senior fief of Travancore kingdom. Notably, say publicly house of Mavellikara was a wing of the Royal House of Travancore. Bhageerthi was the youngest of two sisters, and both of her experienced sisters had been adopted into leadership royal family of Travancore in 1857 in order to carry on righteousness lineage. They were known as depiction Senior and Junior Rani of Attingal, and in their progeny was intrinsic the succession to the throne a mixture of Travancore. Therefore, Ravi Varma's connection beat the royal family became very vigor due to his marriage with Bhageerthi. His children (because they belonged jab their mother's family) would be regal by birth. The marriage, which was arranged by the parents in character proper Indian manner, was harmonious increase in intensity successful. The couple had five lineage, two sons, and three daughters. Their elder son, Kerala Varma (b.1876) was of an excessively spiritual temperament. Inaccuracy never married and eventually renounced dignity world, leaving home for good get your skates on 1912. The younger son, Rama Varma (born 1879), inherited his father's exquisite talent and studied at the JJ School of Arts, Mumbai. He was married to Gowri Kunjamma, sister answer DewanPGN Unnithan, and became the father confessor of seven children.[citation needed]

The three spawn of Ravi Varma and Bhageerthi Bayi were Mahaprabha Amma (who features solution two of Varma's most famous paintings), Uma Amma (named after Varma's mother) and Cheria Kochamma. In 1900 Ceremonial, the Royal House of Travancore in times gone by again faced a succession crisis. Bhageerthi's two elder sisters, who had antique adopted in order to carry press on the lineage, had failed to fabricate the desired heirs. They had disturb children between them, but only four of those survived, and both were boys (who also, incidentally, later thriving childless). According to the matrilineal Marumakkathayam system, the succession to the chairman could only progress through females, mount therefore it was necessary to fine an adoption. Tradition dictated that bend over girls belonging to branches of honourableness Royal Family be adopted together. They would be designated the Senior flourishing Junior Rani of Attingal, and dignity succession to the throne of Travancore would be vested in their descendants, in accordance with the unusual gift unique Marumakkathayam system of succession.[citation needed]

Two of Varma's granddaughters were marked by virtue of destiny to receive this honour, integrity main reason being that they were the nearest matrilineal (cognatic) kin give up the incumbent Rani of Attingal. Detain August 1900, Mahaprabha's eldest daughter Lakshmi Bayi (aged 5 years) and Uma's eldest daughter Parvati Bayi (aged 4 years) were adopted into the Sovereign august family of Travancore. It was Bharani Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi, their surviving grand-aunt, who formally adopted them. She sound within one year of doing that, and the two girls were verification installed as the Senior and Worse Ranis of Attingal respectively. They were married while yet in their obvious teens to two gentlemen from apt aristocratic families. It was the Hand down Rani, Sethu Parvathi Bayi, who gave birth to the much-awaited heir lessening 1912, exactly a day after give someone the cold shoulder sixteenth birthday. Incidentally, her husband was a grand-nephew of Raja Ravi Varma and belonged to Kilimanoor. The coddle child was the future Maharaja Chithira Thirunal, the last ruling Maharaja fortify Travancore. He was followed by dialect trig brother (the future Maharaja Marthanda Varma III) and a sister Lakshmi Bayi, the mother of Maharaja Rama Varma VII who is presently on significance throne (since 2013). Meanwhile, the Postpositive major Rani (Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, daughter deal in Mahaprabha Amma, and Regent from 1924 to 1931) also gave birth be selected for two daughters later in life (in 1923 and 1926).[citation needed]

In this reasonable, the entire present (existing) royal descendants of Travancore is descended from Rajah Ravi Varma. Well known among rule royal descendants are the writers Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi and Shreekumar Varma, the artist Rukmini Varma extremity the classical musician Aswathi Thirunal Hope Varma.[citation needed]

Around Ravi Varma's 57th fare well he announced his decision to grip Sanyasa, and retire from all earthly life when he turned 60. Play a role his final years he suffered running off grief for the death of Aristocrat Raja Varma, and also from diabetes, which contributed to his death straighten out 2 October 1906.[citation needed]

Art career

Varma was patronised by Ayilyam Thirunal, the fee Maharaja of Travancore and began titular training thereafter.[7] He learned the fundamentals of painting in Madurai. Later, appease was trained in water painting make wet Rama Swami Naidu and rather circumspectly in oil painting by British limner Theodore Jenson.[8]

The British administrator, Edgar Thurston was significant in promoting the games of Varma and his brother.[9] Varma received widespread acclaim after he won an award for an exhibition assault his paintings at Vienna in 1873. Varma's paintings were also sent make something go with a swing the World's Columbian Exposition held conduct yourself Chicago in 1893 and he was awarded three gold medals.[10] He cosmopolitan throughout India in search of subjects. He often modelled Hindu Goddesses vacate Indian women, whom he considered dense. Ravi Varma is particularly noted plump for his paintings depicting episodes from illustriousness story of Dushyanta and Shakuntala, unacceptable Nala and Damayanti, from the Mahabharatum. Ravi Varma's representation of Hindu script has become a part of blue blood the gentry Indian imagination of the epics. Soil is often criticized for being besides showy and sentimental in his combination but his work remains very typical in India. Many of his fabled paintings are housed at Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara.[11]

Raja Ravi Varma Press

Apparently bargain the advice of the then Dewan (Prime Minister) of Travancore, T. Madhava Rao, Ravi Varma started a lithographic printing press in Ghatkopar, Mumbai suspend 1894 and later shifted it journey Malavli near Lonavala, Maharashtra in 1899. The oleographs produced by the repress were mostly of Hindu gods extremity goddesses in scenes adapted mainly give birth to the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and magnanimity Puranas. These oleographs were very accepted and continued to be printed occupy thousands for many years, even associate the 1906 death of Ravi Varma.[citation needed]

The Ravi Varma press was grandeur largest and most innovative press be given India at that time. The appeal to was managed by Varma's brother, Aristocrat Varma, but under their management, protect was a commercial failure. By 1899 the press was deeply in liability and in 1901, the press was sold to his printing technician outsider Germany, Fritz Schleicher. Schleicher continued cluster print Ravi Varma's prints but after employed other artists to create unique designs. Schleicher also broadened the effect of press to include commercial captain advertisement labels. Under the management weekend away Schleicher and his successors, the monitor continued successfully until a devastating flush destroyed the whole factory in 1972. Many of Ravi Varma's original lithographic prints were also lost in righteousness fire.[12]

Honours

In 1904, ViceroyLord Curzon, on consideration of the British King Emperor, given upon Varma the Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Ornament. A college dedicated to fine music school was also constituted in his humiliation at Mavelikara, Kerala. Raja Ravi Varma High at Kilimanoor was named subsequently him and there are many social organizations throughout India bearing his reputation. In 2013, the crater Varma triumph Mercury was named in his honor.[13] Considering his vast contribution to Amerindic art, the Government of Kerala has instituted an award called Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram, which is awarded each one year to people who show assistance in the field of art mushroom culture.[14]

  • On his 65th death anniversary, Bharat Post issued a commemorative postal hike depicting Ravi Varma and his renowned painting 'Damayanti and Swan'

Legacy

Raja Ravi Varma is sometimes regarded as illustriousness first modern Indian artist due come into contact with his ability to reconcile Western esthetics with Indian iconography. The Indian rip open historian and critic Geeta Kapur wrote,

Ravi Varma is the indisputable dad figure of modern Indian art. Wide-eyed and ambitious at the same tight, he opens up the debate used for his later compatriots in the unambiguous matter of defining individual genius because of professional acumen, of testing modes chide cultural adaptation with idiosyncratic effect, honor attempting pictorial narration with its fixed scope.[15]

Similarly, Baroda School artist Gulam Mahound Sheikh also wrote about Ravi Varma as a modern artist. In government essay "Ravi Varma in Baroda", Ruler asserted that Varma was a opener figure in the establishment of Soldier modern art, claiming that "the tale of contemporary Indian art was not in the least the same after Ravi Varma confidential entered it. He left his crush on almost every aspect of it." Like Kapur, Sheikh praised Ravi Varma's integration of Indian and Western metaphysics and techniques, comparing him favorably cheerfulness Indian modernist Nandalal Bose.[16]

However, Ravi Varma's legacy is controversial. Fellow Baroda High school artist and art historian Ratan Parimoo saw Ravi Varma in a dear favorable light, derogatorily referring to him as kitsch and claiming Varma's take pains was less spiritually authentic than ancestral art and tribal art. He argued that Ravi Varma was responsible shelter the "vulgarity" of popular art, examination Varma's work to the lurid flag and sexuality of popular images inspect calendar art and films.[17][18]

Despite his questionable legacy, Ravi Varma continues to put pen to paper an important figure for modern remarkable contemporary Indian artists. For example, recent artist Nalini Malani recreated Ravi Varma's Galaxy of Musicians in her videocassette installation Unity in Diversity to inquire Ravi Varma's idealistic nationalism.[19] Similarly, coeval artist Pushpamala N. recreated several Ravi Varma paintings with herself as significance subject to deconstruct Ravi Varma's perfect depictions of goddesses and Indian troop.

Many organizations do programs in tiara memory and give awards in enthrone name. A two days festival elaborate The Maharaja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad Festival clever Arts is annually organized, in jurisdiction memory at the Durbar Hall entail Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara, Gujarat.[20][21] Integrity Raja Ravi Varma Award for Goodness in the Field of Visual Portal is presented during this festival. Jayant Parikh was the first recipient.[22][23]

List custom major works

The following is a close down of the prominent works of Ravi Varma. On the anniversary of what would be his 150th birthday, Yahoo Arts and Culture released over Cardinal of his works online for earthly sphere to view.[24]

Gallery

More at Category:Raja Ravi Varma

In popular culture

J. Sasikumar made Raja Ravi Varma, an Indian documentary herd film on the artist in 1997. It was produced by the Governance of India's Films Division.[25][26]

Makaramanju (English: The Mist of Capricorn) is a 2011 Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film give up Lenin Rajendran starring Santosh Sivan because Varma, the film focuses on Varma's painting "Urvashi Pururavas".[27] The 2014 Asian Hindi-language film, Rang Rasiya (English title: Colours of Passion) explores Varma's inducement behind his paintings with Randeep Hooda in the role of the painter.[28]

Bibliography

English

  • Raja Ravi Varma: An Everlasting Imprint; Notebook 3- A Divine Omnipresence by Ganapati V. Shivaswamy, Pub: White Falcon, Chandigarh, March 2024 ISBN 9781636409344
  • Raja Ravi Varma: Phony Everlasting Imprint; Volume 2- A Reverberating Impression by Ganesh V. Shivaswamy, Pub: White Falcon, Chandigarh, Nov 2023 ISBN 9781636409085
  • Raja Ravi Varma: An Everlasting Imprint; Manual 1- The Shaping of an Manager by Ganesh V. Shivaswamy, Pub: Snowwhite Falcon, Chandigarh, March 2023 ISBN 9781636408460
  • Raja Ravi Varma: Painter of Colonial Indian stomachturning Rupika Chawla, Pub: Mapin Publishing, Ahmedabad, March 2010.
  • Raja Ravi Varma – Oleographs Catalogue by D.Jegat Ishwari, Pub: ShriParasuraman, Chennai, 2010, ISBN 9788191002614
  • Ravi Varma Classic: 2008, Genesis Art Foundation, Cochin-18;45 colour course with text by Vijayakumar Menon.
  • The Painter: A life of Ravi Varma dampen Deepanjana Pal Random House India, 2011 ISBN 9788184002614
  • Raja Ravi Varma – The Near Celebrated Painter of India: 1848–1906, Parsram Mangharam, Bangalore, 2007
  • Raja Ravi Varma – The Painter Prince: 1848–1906, Parsram Mangharam, Bangalore, 2003
  • Raja Ravi Varma and illustriousness Printed Gods of India, Erwin Neumayer & Christine Schelberger, New Delhi, University University Press, 2003
  • Raja Ravi Varma: Blue blood the gentry Most Celebrated Painter of India : 1848 – 1906, Classic Collection, Vol Unrestrained & II. Bangalore, Parsram Mangharam, 2005
  • Raja Ravi Varma: Portrait of an Virtuoso, The Diary of C. Raja Rajah Varma/edited by Erwin Neumayer and Christine Schelberger. New Delhi, Oxford University Appear, 2005
  • Divine Lithography, Enrico Castelli and Giovanni Aprile, New Delhi, Il Tamburo Parlante Documentation Centre and Ethnographic Museum, 2005
  • Photos of the Gods: The Printed Notion and Political Struggle in India rough Christopher Pinney. London, Reaktion Book, 2004
  • Raja Ravi Varma:Raja Ravi Varma:E.M Joseph Venniyur, former director of AIR
  • Raja Ravi Varma: A Novel, Ranjit Desai -Translated infant Vikrant Pande, Pub: Harper Perennial (2013), ISBN 9789350296615
  • Pages of a Mind: Life submit Expressions, Raja Ravi Varma, Pub: Piramal Art Foundation (2016), ISBN 9788193066805

Malayalam

  • Ravi Varma – A critical study by Vijayakumar Menon, Pub: Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademy, Trissur, 2002
  • Raja Ravi Varmayum chitrkalayum, Kilimanoor Chandran, Department of Cultural Publications, Kerala Make, 1999.
  • Chithramezhuthu Koyithampuran, P. N. Narayana Pillai.
  • Raja Ravi Varma, N. Balakrishnan Nair.

Marathi

References

  1. ^Joshi, Whiz Prakash (1985). Sociology of Indian art. Rawat Publications. p. 40.
  2. ^K.R.N. Swamy (28 Apr 2002). "A great painter, no apprehensiveness, but controversial too". Spectrum–The Tribune. Archived from the original on 28 Oct 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  3. ^Nagam Aiya, The Travancore State Manual
  4. ^"Restoring works obvious art". The Hindu. 19 July 2005. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  5. ^Lord Padmanabha and his dasasArchived 8 Feb 2023 at the Wayback Machineindianculture.gov.in. Retrieved 31 July 2021
  6. ^ abPAL, DEEPANJANA (2011). THE PAINTER. Random House India. ISBN . Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  7. ^"The Diary possess C. Rajaraja Varma"
  8. ^"The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum - Article". Archived from significance original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  9. ^Mitter, Partha (1994). Art and Nationalism in Colonial India, 1850-1922: Occidental Orientations. Cambridge University Press. pp. 69, 193, 208. ISBN .
  10. ^Kilimanoor Chandran, Ravi Varmayum Chitrakalayum(in Malayalam), Department of Culture, Kerala, 1998.
  11. ^Vadodara, Lakshmi Vilas Palace. "Raja Ravi Varma Paintings, Vadodara". www.historyofvadodara.in. Archived non-native the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  12. ^Davis, Richard (2012). Gods in Print: Masterpiece of India's Mythological Art. San Rafael, California: Mandala Publishing. p. 83. ISBN .
  13. ^"Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". Planetarynames.we.ugs.gov. Archived from the original terrific 7 February 2023. Retrieved 14 Walk 2014.
  14. ^"Raja Ravi Varma Award". The Hindu. 11 February 2016. Archived from distinction original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  15. ^Kapur, Geeta (2000). What Was Modernism: Essays on Contemporary Broadening Practice in India(PDF). New Delhi: Tulika. p. 147. ISBN . Archived(PDF) from the earliest on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  16. ^Sheikh, Gulam Mohammed. "Ravi Varma in Baroda"(PDF). Asia Art Archive. Archived(PDF) from the original on 7 Feb 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  17. ^Parimoo, Switch (16 November 1975). "Kitsch: The Degradation of Art". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  18. ^Parimoo, Ratan. "Pop Art with Religious Motifs"(PDF). Asia Art Archive. Archived(PDF) from description original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  19. ^Asian Art Department. "Unity in Diversity". Art Gallery of Unique South Wales. Archived from the advanced on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  20. ^"Gaekwads' Two-day Arts Festival Pull Ranjitsinh's Memory | Vadodara News - Times of India". The Times objection India. 4 March 2022. Archived hit upon the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  21. ^"Event mentioned constant worry Gujarati Language News Paper". Archived exaggerate the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  22. ^"Jayant Parikh got Raja Ravi Varma Award Ref. rough Mctears". www.mctears.co.uk. Archived from the earliest on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  23. ^"Jayant Parikh - Awards". www.jayantparikh.com. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  24. ^"Raja Ravi Varma". Google Arts & Culture. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  25. ^"Raja Ravi Verma | Films Division". filmsdivision.org. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  26. ^Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1999). Encyclopaedia pressure Indian cinema. British Film Institute. ISBN .
  27. ^Soyesh H. Rawther (19 October 2010). "Malayalam film makers plan alternative screening elsewhere IFFI venues". The Hindu. Archived deprive the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  28. ^Nagarajan, Saraswathy (29 September 2007). "Portrait of an artist". The Hindu. Archived from the latest on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2008.

External links