Raja Ravi Varma

Who was Raja Ravi Varma?

Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian artist from the princely state of Travancore who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. His paintings are considered to be among the best examples of the fusion of Indian traditions with the techniques of European academic art.

Varma is most remembered for his paintings of sari-clad women portrayed as shapely and graceful. Varma's paintings became an important motif of the time, reproductions being found in almost every middle-class home. His exposure in the west came when he won the first prize in the Vienna Art Exhibition in 1873. Varma died in 1906 at the age of 58. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art.