This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art..
Raja Ravi Varma: A Fine Mixture of European Realism and Indian Sensibility
Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) was one of the most celebrated and prominent artists from India.
His works combined European realism with Indian sensibility.
Raja Ravi Varma is a famous Indian artist who belonged to the family of the Maharajas of Travancore in Kerala.
For his paintings, Varma took inspiration from diverse sources like the chanting of Vedic verses, the Kathakali dance dramas, and the artistic interpretations of Sanskrit epics namely, Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
Varma also printed affordable oleographs of his paintings, making his artworks accessible to the Indian public. Varma won many awards for his paintings and in 2013 a crater on Mercury was named after him!
Varma was born into an aristocratic family at Kilimanoor Palace in the former princely state of Travancore, present-day Kerala, India.
His father was a scholar of Sanskrit and Ayurveda. His mother was a poet and writer who composed music for Kathakali dance dramas. The Kingdom of Travancore was a matrilineal society in which family lineag