Raja Ravi Varma Paintings Depicted In 3 Postcards
There are three old postcards in this post that depict Raja Ravi Varma’s beautiful oil paintings. The postcards are titled “Glow of Hope,” “Galaxy of Musicians,” and “Lady In The Moon Light.” No other artist’s paintings in India evoke so much passion and emotion than that of Raja Ravi Varma. His portraits affirms a knack for capturing exact likenesses.
He would never boast of his prizes and gold medals, which he regularly won in exhibitions in Madras (now Chennai) and elsewhere. By 1880 he became so famous by elevating painting from an anonymous craft to a highly paid commodity. The fluid signature of Ravi Varma became a seal of an exceptionally prized object. He charged an average of Rs 1500 for each work, a huge sum at that time.
Since only the Indian nobility and the wealthy could afford his art, he opened a printing press in 1894. So that the common man has the means to buy the lithograph prints of his artworks cheaply. These postcards are from the Shri Jayachamrajendra Art Gallery which operates from the Jaganmohan Palace, Mysore. The Mysore Maharaja was a great patron of Raja Ravi Varma. The palace houses one of the largest collections of his oil paintings. Click on the photo for better view.
See older post Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph 1894.
Did you know- that not only was he a good painter but he was also an exceptionally good singer, he had training in classical music.
From the collection- 1964 M. Suriyamoorthy Charcoal On Paper Nude (#3)., Tiruchirappalli Rock-Fort – Old Photo 1870., Indian National Congress Bombay or Mumbai – Old Print 1905., Maharaja of Patiala And His Chrysler Car – Old Photo 1929
