THE OLEOGRAPHED GODS: AN EXHIBITION
EXHIBITION –
Raja Ravi Varma is perhaps responsible for single-handedly giving modern form and colour to Hindu Gods and Goddesses. He painted them all in vivid colours, with an European tinge in his brush. Popularity of his paintings gave him such authenticity that later versions of Gods were referred to the “original” and either accepted or rejected depending on the level of similarities.
Two German scholars Erwin Neumayer and Christing Schelberger have collected a huge volume of the paintings by Varma, mostly reproductions from his litho press. Some of these were on display in an exhibition hosted by IGNCA in collaboration with the South Asia Institute of the Heidelburg University from March 12 to 25. (Photo inside back cover). In a dash of contemporary touch, they had added to the collection and display posters and calendars made in early 20th century with political (nationalistic) messages. This well illustrated the influence and use of lithography in India.
Raja Ravi Varma was born in the aristocratic family of Travancore (southern Kerala) in 1848. He was fascinated by the work of European artistes and took to oil paint on canvas. His paintings were an immediate hit. He drew scenes from Hindu mythology in heavy colours. With the winning of international awards and medals, his paintings were sough after.
In the meanwhile, the printing scene in India was slowly changing. Though printed books were introduced in Indian during the 16th Century, it was only in the 18th Century that a full-fledged printing press was set up in Calcutta. Oleograph was a term evolved in India for pictures made with lithographic techniques.
Around this time, Raja Ravi Verma, who earned a substantial sum of Rs.50000 for an assignment with the Baroda kingdom set up his own lithographic art press. This press produced lakhs of copies of his paintings.
Ravi Verma’s paintings marked an important milestone in the history of painting and printing in India. Transcending the line of art as aesthetics, it became social, religious and commerical. It also had political use as the national movement quickly adopted ‘oleography’ to its advantage. And hence the collection of these paintings and their copies are of immense value in art history. IGNCA expressed its appreciation of the effort of Mr. Erwin Neumayer and Christine Schelberge by hosting this exhibition.
IGNCA SCHOLAR INVITED FOR LECTURE BY TASHKENT INSITITUTE
Dr. Sangmitra Basu, working as Research Officer in Kalakosa has been invited by the Tashkent Institute of Oriental Studies as Visting Lecturer. She will be lecturing on “Sanskrit and Modern Indo-Arian languages.” In all she will deliver 30 lectures during the months October to November on the subject. Dr. Basu is a scholar on Advita Vedanta and allied disciplines. She has deep knowledge of Sanskrit grammar of the Panini school and Sanskrit Philology. Dr. Basu is a post-graduate from Calcutta University and took he PhD from Sanskrit University, Delhi.
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