Raja ravi varma paintings

Raja Ravi Varma was a renowned Indian painter who greatly influenced the future generations of Indian painters. Coming from a naturally blessed family of creative folks, pursuing a career in arts was not an aberration for young Varma who was encouraged by his uncle Raja Raja Varma to make a career out of the painting. Trained by several professional artists, he finally emerged as a classic Indian painter who excelled in depicting scenes from Indian literature and epics such as Mahabharata and Ramayana. What gave him the edge over other painters of his generation was that he fused Indian tradition with European technique thus coming up with a new genre of painting in India. He brought out on canvas several folks and traditional art forms of India. At a time when India was looking for inspiration to free itself from British rule, his dazzling oil paintings of India’s glorious past became highly popular In his career, his works were exhibited in major exhibitions across the globe for which he received numerous awards

• Raja Ravi Varma was born to Umamba Thampuratti and Neelakanthan Bhattatiripad on April 29, 1848, in the princely state of Kilimanoor, in Kerala. While his mother was a poet and a writer by profession, his father was a scholar. He had three siblings, Goda Varma, Raja Varma and Mangala Bayi.
• Coming from a family of creative personnel comprising of scholars, poets, and painters, it was only natural for young Varma to be blessed with artistic ingenuity.
• At the young age of seven, he started showing signs of taking the artistic route. Whatever he came across in his day to day living, such as pictures of animals, everyday acts and scenes, later adorned the walls of his home, reflecting his creativity and artistic sense.
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  While his family abhorred this behavior of young Varma, it was his uncle, Raja Raja Varma, a Tanjore artist, who realized his true potential and calling. He resolved to tap the creative ingenuity of the young boy to make him a proficient artist.
• With the help of his uncle and the ruling king, Ayilyam Thirunal, he received training and education in arts. His uncle also gave him his first ever drawing lesson.
• At the age of 14, he moved to Thiruvananthapuram, where he received training in water painting by the palace painter, Rama Swamy Naidu.

Raja Ravi Varma was born to Umamba Thampuratti and Neelakandan Bhattathiripad in the royal palace of Kilimanoor. The inborn talent of the painter started showing at a very tender age. Recognizing the innate aptitude of their child, his parents sent him to study under the patronage of Ayilyam Thirunal Maharaja of Travancore, when he was only 14 years old. He received tutelage, first, from the palace painter Rama Swamy Naidu and then, from Theodor Jenson, a British painter

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Raja Ravi Varma got married to Rani Bhageerathi Bayi (Kochu Panki Amma) of Mavelikara Royal House. He spent the later years of his life in Mysore, Baroda and a number of other cities in the country. This exposure helped him in broadening his outlook. At the same time, he was able to expand as well as sharpen his skills and evolve into a mature painter.

Professional Aspects
Raja Ravi Varma received systematic training, first in the traditional art of Thanjavoor and then, in the European art. He is credited with providing the critical link between Thanjavoor School and Western academic realism. His paintings can be classified into the following three categories:

• Portraits
• Portrait-based Compositions
• Theatrical Compositions, based on myths and legends

It is the third category of paintings for which Raja Ravi Varma is the most renowned. He was continuously traveling through the length and breadth of India, in order to find subjects for his paintings. His love for the South Indian women is depicted through his works. In many of his paintings, he has modeled Hindu Goddesses on the women living in the southern parts of India. The most popular as well as impressive paintings of Raja Ravi Verma include the ones depicting episodes from the story of Dushyanta and Shakuntala and that of Nala and Damayanti. 

At times, Raja Ravi Varma is criticized for being too showy in his paintings. His paintings are also condemned for overshadowing traditional Indian art forms, especially the ones depicting Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Raja Ravi Varma's approach is said to lack the dynamism of expression seen in the traditional paintings. Critics have also disapproved of his rejecting the traditional models of representation of deities and reducing them to the level of mortals. 

Recognition
In recognition of the immense contribution of Raja Ravi Varma towards Indian art, the Government of Kerala has instituted an award in his name. Known as the 'Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram', the award is given to individuals who show considerable promise in the field of art and culture. There is a college in Mavelikara district of Kerala, established in the honor of Raja Ravi Verma. He also received international recognition in 1873, when he won the first prize for his paintings at the Vienna Art Exhibition. 

Notable Works of Raja Ravi Varma
Given below is a comprehensive list of the prominent works of Raja Ravi Varma:

• A Family of Beggars
• A Lady Playing Swarbat
• Arjuna and Subhadra
• Damayanti Talking to a Swan
• Draupadi Dreading to Meet Kichaka
• Girl in Sage Kanwa's Hermitage (Rishi-Kanya)
• Jatayu (a bird devotee of Lord Rama is mauled by Ravana)
• Lady Giving Alms at the Temple
• Lady Lost in Thought
• Lady with Fruit
• Lord Krishna as Ambassador
• Lord Rama Conquers Varuna
• Nair Woman
• Romancing Couple
• Shakuntala
• Shakuntala Composing a Love Letter to King Dushyanta
• Shantanu and Matsyagandha
• Swarbat Player
• The Heartbroken
• The Orchestra
• Victory of Indrajit