Raja Ravi Varma (29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906): 2 May 2024

Why in news?

On his 176th birthday, the first true copy of Raja Ravi Varma’s painting Indulekha was unveiled at Kilimanoor Palace in Kerala, his birthplace.

About Raja Ravi Varma:

• The title Raja was conferred as a personal title by the Viceroy and Governor-General of India Lord Curzon.
• He was a painter and an artist.
• He was among the first Indian artists to use oil paints.
• Considered the father of modern Indian art, as he combined Indian iconography (the use of images and symbols to represent ideas) with Western realism.
• His works are one of the best examples of the fusion of European and Indian art. 
• Notable for making lithographs of his paintings which greatly enhanced his reach and influence as a painter and public figure.

• Lithography is a  printing process in which a design is drawn onto a flat stone and fixed by means of a chemical reaction.       

• • His lithographs increased the involvement of common people with fine arts.
  • His religious depictions of Hindu deities and works from Indian epic poetry and Puranas have received profound acclaim.
• Major Paintings: Mohini playing with a ball, Damayanti Talking to a Swan, Shakuntala, Lord Krishna as Ambassador, Lord Rama Conquers Varuna, Shantanu and Matsyagandha.