Raja Ravi Varma’s Vishwamitra-Menaka 1910 Postcard
A rare 1910 Raja Ravi Varma “Vishwamitra-Menaka” postcard, printed by Joshi Bros. The image is from a painting by Ravi Varma, and the first oleograph brought out by the great artist in 1894 also depicts the same subject. The titles of both the painting and the oleograph were more famously known as “Birth of Shakuntala”.
It depicts the mythological scene of Shakuntala’s birth, where Sage Vishwamitra and the celestial nymph Menaka are the central figures. The subject scene portrays Vishwamitra’s rejection of the newborn Shakuntala, who is held in the hands of her mother Menaka. This postcard was from “Joshi Bros”. A Bombay (Mumbai) based picture/postcard merchant that acted as a distribution agent for the Ravi Varma Press.
Contemporary accounts mention A. K. Joshi, engaged by the Press as a distributor when demand surged. Fritz Schleicher took over the Raja Ravi Varma Press in 1903. He purchased the press from Raja Ravi Varma and his brother, Raja Varma, due to the press incurring significant losses. The text at the back is in Gujarati, formatted as a New Year’s greeting.
Did you know – Fritz Schleicher, a German technician, purchased the loss-making press from the Varma brothers in 1903 for Rs 25,000 and turned it around into a huge financial success.
Past posts – Curzon’s Imposing Delhi Durbar In 1903, 1903 Photo., St Thomas Cathedral British Era Bombay – 2 Postcards 1907., Prince & Princess of Wales Tour of India, 1906 Print., Vintage Book 1939 – The Handbook of India.
