At a time when India was struggling under the weight of colonial rule, when British narratives painted Indians as backward, primitive, and lesser, Raja Ravi Varma picked up his brush, and painted a different story. His canvases told Indians that they were beautiful, dignified, and divine.
Born in 1848 in Kerala, Ravi Varma is celebrated today as one of India’s most important painters. He was a man ahead of his time, blending European realism with Indian traditions to create an entirely new visual language.
A Revolutionary Brushstroke
Unlike much of the art of his time, Ravi Varma used European techniques of oil painting, perspective, and light to portray Indian subjects. His paintings were not just religious, or decorative. They were powerful cultural statements, reclaiming the richness of Indian mythology, and identity at a time when colonial powers were eager to erase it.
His genius lay in his ability to humanize the divine, and to elevate the ordinary. He painted gods, and goddesses as approachable, relatable beings. While also making Indian women look regal, and commanding, their beauty undeniable.
India in Full Glory
Some of his most iconic works capture the beauty, and emotion of Indian epics, and mythology, showing them with a grandeur that rivaled European masterpieces.
Shakuntala
In this famous painting, Shakuntala from the Mahabharata is shown pretending to remove a thorn from her foot while sneaking a glance at her lover, Dushyanta. The scene is delicate yet full of longing, and Ravi Varma’s use of soft golds, pinks, and earth tones infuses it with warmth, and intimacy.
Shakuntala removing a thorn from her foot. (WikiPedia)
Saraswati
His depiction of the goddess of knowledge, and music is serene, and radiant. Saraswati sits in a white saree edged with gold, playing the veena, bathed in a gentle light. Here, the white symbolizes purity, and wisdom, while the details of her jewelry, and posture reflect quiet strength.
Goddess Saraswati (WikiPedia)
Damayanti and the Swan
This work captures Damayanti as she listens to the swan carrying Nala’s message of love. The painting is full of vibrant blues, and greens, with textures that make her sari shimmer, and the swan seem almost alive.
Damyanti And Hamsam (WikiPedia)
Why His Art Mattered
Ravi Varma’s art mattered because it showed Indians as they deserved to be seen. Not as subjects of pity, or fascination for the colonial gaze, but as people of depth, beauty, and culture.
Color palette celebrated Indian tones, warm ochres, golds, soft blues, and greens.
Lighting techniques added dimension, and grace to his figures.
Attention to detail like the folds of a sari, the sparkle of jewelry, the emotion in a gaze — made his subjects feel real, and alive.
Most importantly, he gave divine figures human emotions, Shakuntala’s coy glance. Saraswati’s calm composure which made them relatable, and beloved.
Making Art Accessible
In addition to his masterpieces, Ravi Varma also democratized art. He set up a lithographic press to mass-produce prints of his paintings. Making his work, and India’s mythology accessible to ordinary people. His images of gods, and goddesses soon adorned homes across the country, making him a household name.
A Timeless Legacy
Raja Ravi Varma passed away in 1906, but his art continues to inspire. His paintings remind us of what India looked like, and felt like before we began to doubt ourselves. He painted at a time when Indians needed to be reminded of their own worth, and he succeeded.
His genius was not just in his technique, but in his vision: to make India see itself as glorious, sophisticated, and deeply human.
Even today, his Shakuntala, Saraswati, and Damayanti stand as more than just paintings. They are testaments to resilience, beauty, and pride.
