Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) - A Prince Among Painters and A
Painter Among Princes
Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) was born in Kilimanoor Palace as the
son of Umamba Thampuratti and Ezhumavil Neelakandan
Bhattathiripad. At the age of seven years he started drawing on
the palace walls using charcoal. His uncle Raja Raja Varma
noticed the talent of the child and gave preliminary lessons on
painting. At the age of 14, Ayilyam Thirunal Maharaja took him
to Travancore Palace and he was taught water painting by the
palace painter Rama Swamy Naidu. After 3 years Theodor Jenson, a
British painter taught him oil painting.
Most of his oil paintings are based on Hindu epic stories and
characters. In 1873 he won the First Prize at the Madras
Painting Exhibition. He became a world famous Indian painter
after winning in 1873 Vienna Exhibition.
Many of his oil paintings are classic and his unique Indian
style has later influenced artists and designers worldwide. Here
we have displayed pictures of some of the classic oil paintings
and oleographs of Raja Ravi Varma.
