PAINTINGS
PAINTINGS BY RAJA RAVI VARMA
April 2006 - last updated April 2026
Raja Ravi varma (1848
- 1906) is famous for his paintings based on Indian mythology & epics.
He was was born in Kilimanoor Palace as the son of Umamba Thampuratti and
Neelakandan Bhattathiripad. Even at the young age his talent was
spotted by his uncle Raja Raja Varma, (Ravi Varma used to draw on the walls)
and gave him initial training in painting. Later 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.
H.H. Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar
A lady carrying a lamp
Jatayu attempting to save Sita Devi from Ravana
Varuna
pacifying Rama's anger when the sea refused to give way to reach Lanka
Meganathan,
after his victory over Indran
presenting Sacchi
Devi to Ravana
 King Harichandra
in his vow to speak
only the truth losing his son
Mother
& child
 Mother
& child
Bhishma
abdicating his right to the throne, in order
to get
the fisher girl married to his
father Shantanu
 Krishna
& Balarama freeing Vasudevar &
Devaki after killing Kamsan
Draupadi
in the guise of Sairendri being
asked to go
to Kichaka by the
queen, Virata's wife
 Draupadi,
in disguise carrying honey and
milk to
the court of Keechaka
Lord Krishna
as the envoy of the Pandavas
in the Kaurava court
 Damayanthi
sending a message to Nala
through a swan
Shakuntala
writing a love letter to Dushyantan
on a lotus leaf
 Malabar
Lady
Lady giving
alms
 Lady in
the moonlight
* 7 Apr 2026
Image Cource: saffronart.com
At Saffronart's Spring Live Auction on April 1, 2026, Raja Ravi Varma's
Yashoda and Krishna was sold for ₹167.2 crore (USD 17,978,495), setting a
new benchmark as the highest-value work of modern Indian art ever sold
at auction. One of the most influential painters of 19th-century India,
Raja Ravi Varma is regarded as the "Father of Modern Indian Art". He
painted Yashoda and Krishna in the 1890s, at the height of his career.
It was offered with a pre-sale estimate of ₹80–120 crore (USD 8.6 - 12.9
million). Commenting on his historic acquisition of this work, Indian
businessman and billionaire Cyrus S. Poonawalla said, "I am privileged
to have the opportunity to acquire, preserve, and care for the iconic
Raja Ravi Varma painting Yashoda and Krishna. This national treasure
deserves to be made available for public viewing periodically, and it
will be my endeavour to facilitate this going forward."
The sale of Yashoda and Krishna breaks the previous record held by
leading modernist painter M. F. Husain's Untitled (Gram Yatra), which
crossed ₹118 crore (USD 13.8 million) at auction last year.
Source: architecturaldigest.in
Related Links
The Sri Chithralayam popularly known as Sri Chithra Art Gallery was
opened to the public by the erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore Sri
Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma on the 25th of September 1935. The Art
Gallery has gathered on permanent loan through the kindness of the head
of the family, a representative collection consisting 46 original
paintings of Raja Ravi Varma being examples of this phase of painting in
India.Apart from this 16 numbers of Pencil Sketches and 14 numbers of
Chromolithographs are displayed here along with the Artist’s Easel.
rajaravivarmaartgallery.kerala.gov.in
The Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation
therrvhfoundation.com
Prints available at
dollsofindia.com
archerindia.com
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