We were at the preview of Daughter of Providence, an exhibition at the Raja Ravi Varma Foundation in Bengaluru showcasing a hitherto unseen work of Ravi Varma, when a realisation dawned on us. That no matter how unrelated you are to the world of art, there are certain artists who always find their way into your visual vocabulary because their presence is that integral to the cultural fabric of the nation. How else would you explain the presence of the crème de la crème of the city flocking to see a piece of art created by an artist who was born 175 years ago?
We were at the exclusive preview of Daughter of Providence, an exhibition at the Raja Ravi Varma Foundation in Bengaluru showcasing a hitherto unseen work of Raja Ravi Varma, when a realisation dawned on us. That no matter how unrelated you are to the world of art, there are artists who always find their way into your visual vocabulary because such intergral is their presence in the cultural fabric of a nation. How else would you explain the presence of the crème de la crème of the city flocking to celebrate an artist who was born 175 years ago?
Conceptualised by Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation with research and documentation by historian Dr Manu S Pillai (author of The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore), Daughter of Providence is a first-of-its-kind exhibition on the life and times of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi (1895-1985), the last ruling queen of Travancore and Ravi Varma’s eldest granddaughter.
The centrepiece of the exhibition is a stunning, never-before-seen, original oil painting of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi as a three year-old child, painted as a present to her by grandfather Ravi Varma. Its grand reveal now is to commemorate the occasion of his 176th anniversary, which fell on April 29.
The exhibition also showcases a collection of photographs of the Maharani and her life, narrated visually in different chapters. However, the glorious oil painting by the queen’s oldest grandchild, Bharani Thirunal Rukmini Bayi Thampuran aka Rukmini Varma (also the Chairperson of the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation) was what grabbed our eyeballs.
For the unversed, Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore was one of the most striking female icons of 20th-century India. Admired by nationalists such as Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore, she set new standards of social justice and economic prosperity in just the seven years of her rule in Kerala.
From that to shifting permanently to Bengaluru in a twist of fate and finally dying as an ordinary citizen in 1985, the life of this queen is cinematic to say the least. If this story, with an unique blend of mystic royalty and timeless art, has lured you to find out more, read on as Indulge brings you an exclusive conversation with the oldest grandchild of the queen (and Ravi Varma's great great grandaughter) – Rukmini Varma. Excerpts:
We are celebrating the 176th anniversary of Ravi Varma. Why do you think his art continues to be so significant even after so many years?
Raja Ravi Varma's art remains significant because of its unique blend of European techniques and Indian sensibilities, which revolutionised Indian art. His realistic portrayals of Indian gods, goddesses and everyday life bridged cultural narratives, making divine and mythological characters accessible and relatable to a broader audience. By pioneering lithographic printing in India, he ensured his artwork was widely disseminated, embedding his aesthetic into the Indian collective consciousness.
I don’t believe that’s an accurate description of me (smiles). I was her oldest grandchild but being the lady she was — the former monarch and a doting grandmother — she treated all of her grandchildren equally. I can only say that being the oldest, I definitely got to spend the most time with her.
Coming to the grand reveal of the painting of the queen by Ravi Varma – what are your thoughts on it as an artist?
Like all other Ravi Varma paintings, this is a fine work! It's a brilliant composition based on photographs that were taken of the Maharani when she was just three years old. Ravi Varma has painted the Maharani seated on some rocks. However, he has incorporated a beautiful natural background into the work. You can see lush trees, mountains in the distance and grass below her feet. It's a style that is true to Ravi Varma – not many artists had the vision or the skill to imagine a background and juxtapose it with the portrait of a person in the foreground...
(This story will be continued in Indulge's May 10 issue. Watch this space for more!)
Entry free. Till May 30. At Raja Ravi Varma Foundation, Lavelle Road.
Email: prattusa@newindianexpress.com
X: @MallikPrattusa