Though it is entirely true that Bhagwan resides in every human, it is also a fact that Bhagwan signifies the epitome of what humans can do. Probably, this is the reason why throughout history, people have been advised against trying to present Bhagwan in artistic imagery. There is always a risk of the loss of divinity attached to the archetypical figure. Very few artists have been able to do it without tinkering with the original idea of the deity. Raja Ravi Varma was one of them and probably the first of them.
Initial years of Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma is considered the innovator who brought a revolutionary change in the art of painting in India. He was born on 29 April 1848 at Kilimanoor palace in modern-day Kerala. He was gifted with an intellectually privileged background. Ravi Varma’s mother Uma Ambabayi Thampuratty was a poet and writer. His father Ezhumavil Neelakanthan Bhattatiripad was also a scholar of Sanskrit and Ayurveda.
His uncle, artist Raj Raja Varma, recognized his talent and gave him an early education in art. At the age of fourteen, he took him to Thiruvananthapuram where Ravi Varma was taught oil painting in the palace. Later Raja Ravi Varma travelled to Mysore, Baroda, and other parts of the country for proficiency in various aspects of painting. The credit for Raja Ravi Varma’s success goes to his systematic art education. He first majored in traditional Tanjore art and then studied European art. In this tough journey, Varma was supported by Ayilyam Thirunal, the next Maharaja of Travancore.
Fusion of European oil painting with Indian sensibility
Raja Ravi Varma learned water painting from Rama Swami Naidu and Oil painting from Theodore Jensen. It is this very aspect of Ravi Varma’s journey which is subject to criticism by traditionalists. Fans as well as critics of traditional Indian painting did not want to see Indian sensibility and iconography being fused with European academic art. One of them even went on to state that the amalgamation of both schools of painting led to a drag in the growth of Indian painting by 50 years.
Varma’s upbringing coupled with his creative instincts helped him to portray images of Dev Tatva in simple but unadulterated form. Before Varma started it, artists were reluctant to do it. Part of the reason goes to fear of blasphemy due to the existence of Abrahamic waves in the Indian subcontinent, while part of the reason is attributed to their own reverence for the deities. At that time, Devis and Devtas were presented as superhumans with extraordinary muscle strengths. People used to worship them but normally did not strive to be like them.
Bhagwan Ram’s painting was inspired by his personal experience
A corollary of this psychological phenomenon was observed by Ravi Varma in his personal life as well. He had 2 nephews named Raja Raj Varma and Raja Ram Varma. Both brothers were great scholars of theology and moral ethics. But there was a minor difference in the way they looked. Raja Raj Varma was quite handsome while Raja Ram Varma was an average-looking boy.
When the hunt for a life partner started, the onus was on the bride to select the person whom she wanted to marry. This is in stark contrast to what Britishers and Leftist historians have presented Indian culture and history as. Here, in contrast to the patriarchal authority, matriarchal power prevailed. Men were mostly engaged in war, the authority/administration authority of Travancore rested mostly with the queen, and the stature of a woman was equal to that of a man in this kingdom.
Both were contenders for being the husband of the Princess of Travancore. It should not be tough to speculate whom she would have chosen. According to you, it would be Raja Raj Varma only. He was handsome; he was virtuous. But the exact opposite happened. The appearance of Raja Raj Varma became a curse for him and Raja Ram Varma was chosen as the groom in his place. Now know the Leela of the Lord.
A Bhagwan who reminds you of a human with extraordinary abilities
Raja Ravi Varma was stunned and his observation told him that until Bhakts do not relate to Dev Tatva in a way one human relates to their superior ones, this type of distortion will keep prevailing. The princess chose Raja Ram Varma because he seemed more in touch with reality while Raja Raj Varma’s appearance signified some kind of divineness which an average human is normally aloof. He then went on to present Bhagwan Ram’s journey in a simplistic form. While presenting his various epochs of life, Raja Ravi Varma ensured that Bhagwan Ram looks appears more relatable.
The name of this picture is Darp Haran, i.e., ‘Darpa Haran’ of Varun Dev’s pride, that is, to crush the pride of Samudra Dev.
Raja Ravi Varma was the first painter who showed Hindu Devis and Devtas as common human beings. Today, the pictures of Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, Radha or Krishna that we see in photos, posters, and calendars among others are mostly a product of the imagination of Raja Ravi Varma. His most famous paintings also include those of ‘Saraswati’ and ‘Lakshmi’, which are being worshipped from house to house, whether the worshipers are aware of it or not.
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The many paintings of Ravi Varma
Many of Ravi Varma paintings are preserved to date in the Laxmi Vilas Palace of Baroda. Many believe that the market price of all his paintings may be more than that of the largest palace in the country. Thoughtful woman, Damayanti-Hansa speech, Sangeet Sabha, Arjuna and Subhadra, a distraught girl, Shakuntala, Jatayu killing by Ravana, Indrajit-Vijay, a woman of Nair caste, Draupadi Keechaka, Raja Shantanu and Matsyagandha, Shakuntala and King Dushyanta among others are some of his famous paintings.
Raja Ravi Varma published his paintings by opening the Lithograph Press in Mumbai. Paintings of Ravi Varma cover various aspects, but they are mostly about mythological subjects and portraits of kings. His works were welcomed in foreign countries as well. In 1873, he won an award for the exhibition of his paintings in Vienna. Varma’s paintings were also sent to the World’s Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893 where he was awarded three gold medals.
Varma was well-versed in books as well as experience. In his later years, he travelled through India to understand the essence of what India, that is Bharat means. Simply put, Ravi Varma portrayed “Kan-kan mein Bhagwan hain” in his paintings.
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