Rare 1895 Postcard of Rajibai Mulgaonkar, The Famous Model of Raja Ravi Varma from Bombay
A photo page on Rajibai from the book “Raja Ravi Varma Portrait of an Artist”
This very rare 1895 postcard features Rajibai Mulgaonkar, one of Raja Ravi Varma’s most celebrated models from Bombay (now Mumbai). She appears in this postcard as a Bombay Beauty. Rajibai was a Goan kalavant — a woman devoted to the arts, similar in tradition to a devadasi — and a relative of a foreman at the Ravi Varma Press.
She posed for several of Raja Ravi Varma’s iconic paintings, including masterpieces such as Shakuntala (1894), Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ahalya, and The Milkmaid. Her likeness is also believed to have inspired the composition of the painting Disappointing News.
Rajibai’s contribution was pivotal in shaping the visual identity of Indian goddesses and mythological women. Through her expressive features and graceful bearing, Ravi Varma created timeless images that became oleographs, calendar prints, postcards, and popular icons of Indian art. Her face helped define how generations came to visualize deities like Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati.
However, Ravi Varma often idealized his models — transforming their real features to align with his artistic vision of divine beauty. Thus, while Rajibai served as “the model,” the final depictions transcend portraiture, becoming a blend of realism and imagination.
Unfortunately, little is known about Rajibai Mulgaonkar’s personal life, including her early years and later days, making this postcard a rare and invaluable glimpse into the world of Raja Ravi Varma’s muses. Click image to enlarge.
Also read Three muses…
Did you know – what is very remarkable is that Ravi Varma’s paintings of goddesses popularized the wearing of a sari all over India.
Past posts – Grand Elephant Procession At The 1903 Delhi Durbar, 1903 Photo., Deccan Post Office In Nizam’s Hyderabad, 1900 Postcard., Early Aviation Biplane In British India Era, 1913 Times of India
