Home

Recently launched – Raja Ravi Varma: An Everlasting Imprint

A six volume series on the artist by Ganesh V Shivaswamy

Raja Ravi Varma

Ravi Varma may well be considered the foremost modern Indian artist. Living at a time when India and it’s people were changing in many ways, Varma participated and contributed to the alteration of the Indian aesthetic. Not only was he a highly sought-after portrait artist, painting for the many royal families across India but his depictions of scenes from the Indian epics and puranas also found favour among his patrons.

The establishment of the Ravi Varma Press which commenced functioning in 1894 went on to make the artist a household name. The chromolithographs from the Press took art from the privileged domain of patrons to the household of the common man. The artist and the Press together would leave an indelible mark in the perception of religions imagery and societal aesthetics among the people of the Indian sub-continent and beyond.

Portrait of Raja ravi varma
The Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation

and

Raja Ravi Varma

The foundation, established in 2019 has worked towards continuing the effort, already started in 2006 towards structuring the legacy of the artist. Through the collaboration with Google Arts & Culture and the collective effort of the custodians of his art and legacy, the foundation has been able to comprehensively compile the legacy. Now, with the launch of the six volume series, Raja Ravi Varma: An Everlasting Imprint, the academic work on the artist would be substantially documented for the future.

Our work on Raja Ravi Varma

Raja Ravi Varma Draupadi at the Court of Virat, The raja ravi varma

Curating the Sree Chitra Art Gallery at Thiruvananthapuram

Raja Ravi Varma Kizhakke Palat Krishna Menon, raja ravi varma

Celebrating 150 years since the commencement of Raja Ravi Varma’s professional Career

Raja Ravi Varma Birth of Shakuntala

Commemorating 125 years of the start of the Ravi Varma Press

Raja Ravi Varma Lakshmi

Lectures and Symposia

Raja ravi varma Academic writing and contributions

Academic writing and contributions

dry tree in a village ,raja ravi varma

Commemorating the centennial death anniversary of Raja Ravi Varma

Launch of Google Arts & Culture

Her Highness Shubhangini Raje Rajmata Ji of Baroda inaugurates the Google Arts & Culture platform of the Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation at the Maharaja Fatesingh Museum, Vadodara
Google Arts and Culture Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation

Chromolithographs from the Ravi Varma Press