Raja Ravi Varma1 (1848-1906)

1. 1 Raja Ravi Varma

2. Raja RaviVarma (1848 – 1906) “A prince among painters and a painter among princes” Raja Ravi Varma is famous for his paintings based on Indian mythology & epics. He was was born in Kilimanoor Palace and he learnt water colour painting from the palace artist Rama Swamy Naidu. He learnt oil painting from the British artist Theodor Jenson. Towards the end of the 19th century, when there was a lack of vitality in Indian painting, he was one of the few artists who re-introduced Indian subjects in his works. Varma was the first Indian to use Western techniques of perspective and composition and to adapt them to Indian subjects, styles, and themes. He won the Governor’s Gold Medal in 1873 for the painting Nair Lady Adorning Her Hair. He became a much-sought-after artist among both the Indian nobility and the Europeans in India, who commissioned him to paint their portraits. Varma adapted Western realism to pioneer a new movement in Indian art. In 1894 he set up a lithographic press in order to mass-produce copies of his paintings as oleographs, enabling ordinary people to afford them. That innovation resulted in the tremendous popularity of his images, which became an integral part of popular Indian culture thereafter. Raja Ravi Varma - Self portrait, 1887

3. Dashavatara, the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu

4. Usha's Dream (oleographic print) A representation of the Gayatri Mantra The goddess sits on a lotus flower and appears with five heads and five pairs of hands, representing the incarnations of the goddess as Parvati, Saraswati etc. She is Saraswatī. She is the consort of Brahma

5. Ahimahi Vadh (Hanuman kills Ahi and Mahi) Jagannath (Lord of the Universe) Lithograph by Raja Ravi Varma,1900s

6. Ardhanarishva Ardhanarishvara is a composite androgynous form of the Hindu god Shiva and his consort Parvati. Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half male and half female, split down the middle. The origin of Ardhanarishvara lies in hermaphrodite figures in ancient Hindu and Greek cultures. Maruti

7. Ganesha with AshtaSiddhi Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha

8. Ganapati (Ganesha with consorts Riddhi and Siddhi) According to Scriptures Ganesha Purana, Lord Ganesha is married to Buddhi and Siddhi, daughters of Lord Brahma. Buddhi  means intelligence. Siddhi is the ultimate achievement, i.e. liberation (moksha). Riddhi  means progress, prosperity and material enjoyment (bhoga). Buddhi, Siddhi and Riddhi are all Lord Ganesha’s  own powers. When they are personified, they are considered as his consorts.

9. Ganapati (Ganesha with consorts Siddhi and Buddhi)

10. Lord Ganesha is given prime importance among the Panch Devtas. The Panch Devtas are Lord Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and Surya. In Hindu mythology, Panch Devtas together makes the Brahman (universe), which is supreme and absolute. Lord Ganesha is the son of lord Shiva and the God is given the first honour of worship in Hinduism. Before undertaking anything auspicious Hindus offer prayers to Lord Ganesha Ganesh on his vahana, a mouse or rat

11. Colour lithograph of the goddess Ambika British Museum, London Goddess Ambika (Durga) the wife of Vichitravirya seated on a throne with attendants and musicians by her side, she has four hands.

12. Dattatreya, the incarnation of the thrimoorthis, Brahma, Mahavishnu and Maheswar (Shiva) Sacred River Goddess Ganga

13. Matsya (the avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu in the form of a fish) Parashurama (the sixth avatar of Vishnu) with his axe

14. Mahatma Buddha Judith

15. Ahalya 1896 In Hindu mythology, Ahalya is the wife of the sage Gautama Maharishi Portrait of Vasantika, the spring

16. Nataraja - The Cosmic Dancer (Lord Shiva dancing in the form of Nataraj) Vaman

17. King Harichandra in his vow to speak only the truth, losing his son Durga Goddess Chamundi kills evil Mahishasura

18. Mohini (Oleograph) Mohini on a swing Mohini (Heavenly Apsara) is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu

19. Mohini and Bhasmasur (he destroyed himself by putting his hands on his head) Mohini asking Rugmangada to kill his own son, 1899

20. Arjuna and Subhadra (half sister of Krishna) Kali trampling Shiva

21. Meerabai (Women who changed the world) the Rajasthani poet-saint and a devotee of Lord Krishna is singing songs (Bhajans) in praise of her lover, Lord Krishna Vasanthasena (Oleographic print)

22. Garuda Vahan Vishnu Lord Vishnu flying on his divine vehicle Garuda Bird with two of his attendants on either side. Shani Deva, the elder brother of Yama, the Hindu god of death. Shani is embodied in the planet Saturn and is the Lord of Saturday

23. Vishnu Laxmi and Serpent Anant Dhruv Narayan Dhruva, son of King Uttanapada and Suniti, meditating in the forest. Narayan (Vishnu) appears and gives him boon to be in the middle of the sky so that all the stars would revolve around him.

24. Krishna Drishta (1888) The viewing of the infant Krishna Birth of Krishna

25. Savitri Narad Samvad Satyavan Savitri Savitri

26. Descent of Ganga Markandeya

27. The Goddess Lakshmi standing on a Lotus Godess Saraswati playing a Veena and her vehicle a Peacock seated, facing her

28. The Goddess Lakshmi (detail)

29. Shesh Narayan, is considered to be one of the many manifestations of Vishnu and is also considered as the servant of Vishnu.

30. Seshanarayana Narayana (Vishnu) and wifes, with Shesha (Oleographic print) Seduction of Vishwamitra (Menaka, the nymph tempting the yogi)

31. Tilottama is an Apsara (celestial nymph) described in Hindu mythology Urvashi and Pururavas

32. Murugan Hindu deity Karktikeya (the Hindu god of war) with his consorts on his Vahana peacock

34. Skanda, Murugan or Kartikeya, is the Hindu god of war. He is the commander-in-chief of the army of the devas (gods) and the son of Shiva and Parvati.

35. Text and pictures: Internet All  copyrights  belong to their  respective owners Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu https://www.slideshare.net/michaelasanda https://ma-planete.com/michaelasanda 2014 Sound:Gaurangi Devi Dasi aka Pia - Govindam