Showing all 2 books
From the foreword by Dr. Karan Singh: "Painting in India has a long and distinguished tradition going all the way back to the frescos in the Ajanta and Ellora caves many centuries ago. In the middle of the 19 century, as part of the Indian renaissance, there was an efflorescence of artistic talent in various parts of India. The Bengali and Baroda schools later became the best known, but down in the South the work of Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) created ...
The subjects for which Ravi Varma is best known - Hindu Gods and Goddesses and scenes from the Puranas - were natural themes for a profoundly religious man who was also a master of portraiture. In a radical break with India tradition, Ravi Varma used human models to give shape to his vision of the Gods. And by portraying deities such as Krishna, Lakshmi and Saraswati as sublimely beautiful human beings, he made the Gods seem divine yet approachable. So popular ...