Bombay Songstress Model For Raja Ravi Varma’s Painting, 1900 Postcard
A 1900 postcard of the Bombay Songstress, a model for Raja Ravi Varma’s painting. The Bombay Songstress was a classical musician. According to the book, Raja Ravi Varma Painter of Colonial India by Mrs Rupika Chawla, “Bombay Songstress is a classical musician and could be any of the singers who modelled for Ravi Varma. It has not been possible to trace the original painting and a postcard which inspired the original is the only evidence of this work….”
The postcard shown in the book is the same as is seen here. The postcard’s accompanying note in the book reads: “Bombay Songstress, one of the many postcards referred to by Ravi Varma before the composition of a painting, undated collection: Delhi Art Gallery.” Theater and plays were once a popular form of entertainment in Bombay (Mumbai) before the advent of cinema. Raja Ravi Varma was a great patron of these plays whenever he was in Bombay.
Models were practically important for Raja Ravi Varma for preparatory study before embarking on a particular themed painting. Alternatively, he would also settle for postcard images since female models were a little hard to find at the time. The “Ravi Beauty Series” postcards, like this one, where published for the Ravi Varma Press by P S Joshi.
Did you know – that the most famous of the models of the artist was Anjanibai Malpekar, a dancer, singer, and courtesan, who was the muse of Ravi Varma’s later years. One of the subjects she modelled was for the painting “Mohini”.
Past posts – India’s Oldest Hotel, Great Eastern, Old Photo1880., Madras Water Supply Red Hills Lake – Old Postcard 1907., Worli Fort In Mumbai Old Print 1930., Old Book – Old Delhi 10 Easy Walks 1997.
