Raja Ravi Varma

About Raja Ravi Varma's Paintings

Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906) was an Indian painter born into the royal household of Kilimanoor in Travancore (present-day Kerala) who became the first artist to fuse European academic oil painting techniques with subjects drawn entirely from Indian mythology, literature, and everyday life. Trained in the Western tradition under Dutch court painter Theodore Jensen but guided entirely by his own imaginative instincts, he produced a body of work that changed how India pictures its gods, goddesses, and heroines.

His large, salon-style canvases gave Hindu deities — Lakshmi, Saraswati, Durga — recognisably South Asian faces and the warmth of living human emotion. Through his Ravi Varma Fine Arts Lithographic Press, established in the 1890s in Bombay, these images became accessible to ordinary households across the subcontinent. His visual language entered Indian popular culture so completely that it shapes calendar art, cinema, and religious iconography to this day.

Famous Paintings by Raja Ravi Varma

• Goddess Lakshmi — the defining image of the deity in Indian visual culture
• Shakuntala (1870) — heroine of Kalidasa's drama, lost in reverie
• Saraswati — goddess of learning and the arts
• Lady Reading a Letter (1888)
• There Comes Papa (1893)
• Damayanti and the Swan
• Galaxy of Musicians / Nair Lady at Toilet
• Radha and Krishna
• Woman with Veena
• Hamsa Damayanti

Why Raja Ravi Varma Paintings Endure

Ravi Varma's paintings endure because they achieved something almost impossible: they gave ancient Indian narratives a naturalistic, emotionally immediate visual form that millions of people recognised as their own. Before him, Indian mythological art was largely confined to the conventions of miniature painting or folk traditions. His canvases made Sita and Lakshmi look like real women — women of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, not European figures in Indian dress — while giving them the monumental presence of academic oil painting.

The reach of his work through mass-produced oleograph prints meant that for the first time, a working-class household could hang a large, richly coloured image of a deity on their wall. This democratisation of sacred imagery was a cultural transformation as much as an artistic one. His compositions became so embedded in the visual imagination of the subcontinent that even today, the face of Lakshmi that comes to most Indian minds is essentially the face Ravi Varma gave her.

Raja Ravi Varma Art Prints on Mojud

Mojud holds around 126 of Raja Ravi Varma's works, spanning his intimate portrait studies, his great mythological canvases, and the female figures for which he is most loved. Every work is available at full resolution to explore and download for free, or to order as a fine-art print made to order in our studio.

• 126 Raja Ravi Varma works in the collection
• Free high-resolution downloads — no account needed
• Museum-grade fine-art prints, made to order
• Ships across India

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are Raja Ravi Varma's most famous paintings?

  Ravi Varma is best known for his iconic depictions of Hindu goddesses — particularly Lakshmi and Saraswati — and for 'Shakuntala' (1870), considered one of his masterpieces. 'There Comes Papa', 'Lady Reading a Letter', and 'Damayanti and the Swan' are also among his most celebrated works.

• Why is Raja Ravi Varma considered important to Indian art?

  Ravi Varma is widely regarded as the father of Indian modern painting. He was the first artist to successfully fuse European academic oil painting with Indian mythological and classical subjects, giving Hindu deities recognisably South Asian faces. His mass-produced oleograph prints made this imagery accessible to ordinary households and shaped India's popular visual culture for generations.

• Where are Raja Ravi Varma's original paintings kept?

  His original canvases are held by the Sri Chitra Art Gallery in Thiruvananthapuram (which houses the largest collection), the Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery, the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, and several private collections. His works are classified as National Art Treasures by the Government of India.

• How many Raja Ravi Varma paintings does Mojud hold?

  Around 126, ranging from his intimate portrait studies and female figures to the grand mythological canvases depicting scenes from the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and classical Sanskrit literature.

• Can I download Raja Ravi Varma paintings for free from Mojud?

  Yes. All works in the Mojud collection — including all 126 Ravi Varma paintings — can be downloaded in high resolution at no cost. No account is required.