Ravi Varma Indian Painting - Yashoda with Krishna

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Indian Paintings by Ravi Varma

Raja Ravi Varma's Biography
A prince among painters and a painter among princes
No other Indian artist blazed as many trails as Raja Ravi Varma. He was the first Indian to master perspective, the first to use human models to depict Hindu gods and goddesses, the first to make his work available not just to the rich but to ordinary people too. The immense popularity of his work also made this deeply pious aristocrat the first Indian artist to become well known — before him painters were largely anonymous.
Raja Ravi Varma was born in 1848 into the royal house of Kilimanoor, 25 miles from Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala state. The Kilimanoor princes were renowned for their cultural accomplishments, and Ravi Varma's artistic talents blossomed early: by the time he was 14, he had secured the patronage of the maharaja of Travancore.
Western painting fascinated Ravi Varma: he instinctively sympathized with its vigorous realism, so different from the stylized, contemplative Indian tradition. He also preferred oil paints, then new in India, to tempera, the traditional Indian medium. Though Ravi Varma had to teach himself the techniques of oil painting, by the early 1870s he was mixing oils perfectly, and his portraits show a remarkable ability to depict a variety of skin tones and fabrics.
Ravi Varma's career gradually took off. For the next three decades he was in great demand, with everyone from businessmen to maharajas vying to commission him. One 1888 commission by the maharaja of Baroda for 14 paintings fetched Ravi Varma Rs50,000, an astronomical sum for the time. Ravi Varma exhibited his canvases abroad too, he won several medals at international exhibitions, including one at Vienna and two at Chicago. And he was awarded so many prizes in India that at one stage he announced that he'd no longer take part in competitions so that other artists would have a chance!
In his Indian paintings, Ravi Varma idealized women, often making his subjects more stately and graceful than they actually were. Indeed, at one time, telling an Indian woman that she looked like a Ravi Varma painting was the ultimate compliment. Though he painted women of many communities and classes, Ravi Varma had a special fondness for depicting the sari-clad women of Bombay where he lived for many years. He found the sari — then not worn in Kerala and many other parts of India — with its striking colors and graceful folds especially appealing, and it's often said that the popularity of Ravi Varma's paintings helped make the sari the national dress for all Indian women.
In 1906 at the age of 58 he passed away. At the time of his death, Ravi Varma was indisputably India's best known and most honored artist. But within a few years, critical opinion turned against him. Critics and artists, some even jealous of his great success, accused him of being a sentimentalist, a mere illustrator, an unimaginative copier of European techniques and thus not Indian enough. Some even criticized him for using oils, then seen as a "colonial" medium! However, the Indian public never once rejected him. In recent years, critics too have begun to reassess him as an old master who pioneered in India the best form of fine art and based his ideas and themes on the deepest of Indian traditions. Today Ravi Varma paintings are in great demand at auctions, and fetch higher prices than for any Indian painter.

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Jaisalmer Art, Architecture & Tourism

by Ranbir Singh
Hardcover (Edition: 2008)

Shubhi Publications
ISBN 9788182901186

Size: 11.3" X 8.8"
Pages: 136 (Illustrated Throughout In Full Color)

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From the Jacket

The cultural life of the people of Jaisalmer is fascinating. This book is based largely on the personal experiences, narratives of the local people gathered during several visits in addition to references drawn from historical records about Jaisalmer. I owe gratitude to Mr. Anupam Mishra of Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi and Shri Bhagawan Das Maheshwari, the great old man of Jaisalmer who have been not only instrumental in attracting my attention to Jaisalmer but also helping me in gathering relevant information incorporated in this book. Attempt has been made to present vital aspects of the life of the people, the cultural ambience and the architectural beauty of Jaisalmer in a descriptive and lucid manner incorporating certain historical incidents and accounts that were of great significance in the shaping the character of Jaisalmer. In spite of the introduction of modern symbols of technology, Jaisalmer holds its traditional identity and great attraction among the Indian as well as foreign tourists and scholars even to this day as highlighted in various chapters. The architectural beauty and various elements that have gone into shaping the city of Jaisalmer have not yet been fully explored and have the potential to keep the visitors attracted for years to come. It is presumed that the readers will get ample information about the character of Jaisalmer through the pages of this book and attempt further exploration in their own individual way. As a unique milestone in the history of architecture the structures of Jaisalmer need great attention in regard to conservation as well as preservation.

Ranbir Singh is a person of diverse interests ranging from scholarly pursuits to photography. He is thoroughly acquainted with the life and culture of the people of Rajasthan, particularly the Shekhawati, Marwar and the Bhatti territory i.e. Jaisalmer. He has vividly documented and captured the images of the events and life of the people of northern India, particularly northwestern Rajasthan and Haryana, his home State. He has traveled widely throughout the length and breadth of the country and frequently goes on excursions in the Great Indian Desert and the Himalayas. He seems to have scientifically tempered the documentation about cultural heritage of the people of Rajasthan and Haryana.

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Merrill Lynch to auction Indian art

Merrill Lynch will auction 40 lots of exclusive Indian artwork on October 5 at Mall Galleries in London.

In one of the largest initiatives by a non-auction house to cash in on the growing popularity of Indian art, it is roping in top artists, including Jehangir Sabavala, Akbar Padamsee, Anjolie Ela Menon, N S Bendre, Paritosh Sen, Satish Gujral, Jatin Das, Imtiaz Dharker, Ram Kumar and S H Raza.

Merrill Lynch Global Private Client is supporting 'Art for Conservation', a movement run by the NGO Sanskara, which highlights the need to support conservation programmes and projects in India.

The auction is being put together by Merrill Lynch with Sanskara. The money from the auction will be used for conservation programmes in India.

Hemendra Kothari, chairman, DSP Merrill Lynch Ltd, a key driver of the auction, said: "Through this event, funds raised will be used to create a multimedia education campaign, covering TV and hoardings, and featuring conservation messages. The planned media initiative, which will feature conservation messages from some of India's biggest celebrities, has already secured the involvement of leading Bollywood's artists."

The auction comes at a time when Indian art is the flavour of the season in foreign shores, especially in New York and London, and has raked in over Rs 170 crore this month.

The world's top auction houses, Christie's and Sotheby's, held auctions of Indian art in New York this month.

The growing popularity of Indian art can be gauged from the fact that Christie's raked in over Rs 80 crore from its auction, while Sotheby's made Rs 73 crore from two auctions in New York.

And the hottest artist in both the auctions was F N Souza, who reached new heights when one of his paintings hit the hammer at a price of $1,36,000, bought by an Indian hedge fund manager.

In London, Bonhams, which boasted of 17 Souzas, raked in over Rs 16 crore for its auction of Indian painters.

Even in India, Indian paintings are raking in the moolah. Osian's Mumbai auction was able to attract deals worth Rs 23 crore, while the online auction of Indian art in Saffronart hit an attractive Rs 20 crore.

Merrill Lynch is one of the world's leading wealth management, capital markets and advisory companies, with offices in 36 countries and territories and total client assets of approximately $1.8 trillion.

India Fine Art

India Fine Art is a reputed Indian art dealing organization established in the year 2002 catering to art lovers across the globe, be it paintings or sculptures by artists from all over India.

Everybody appreciates art. But not many can acquire them due to shortage and unavailability of these "original works". Keeping this in mind we at India Fine Art have always endeavored to make it possible for artists to reach out to the ordinary man, who can now enjoy art at home or at work at an affordable price.

At our online art gallery we have showcased a "limited edition portfolio" of various renowned Indian artists. These are prints of the original artwork, signed and numbered by the artists (of the originals) themselves, thus making them collectors' items. The starting price of the prints is Rs.2500 (INR). The prints are also available on canvas, making them as good as the originals. Again, it's a limited edition, an investment for a lifetime, at a surprisingly low cost.


THE REAVER UNDERNEATH by LAXMAN AELAY