Contribution & Associations

From inception the Foundation has been associated with several researchers, scholars, authors, historians and restorers for its various activities and events and as Guests to the Foundation. We are grateful for their valuable insights and immense contribution towards all Foundation activities & their personal contribution to Ravi Varma.

Authentication

Rupika Chawla

Historian, Conservator & Writer

For restoring several important Ravi Varma works including Lady In The Moonlight, Bombay Singer & Hanuman Discourse among others

Dr. Choodamani Nandagopal

Art Historian, Author, UNESCO Fellow

"Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation, with an endeavour, has undertaken collecting, protecting, documenting, researching, conserving, exhibiting, publishing, producing short films and organising lectures, talks and gallery events related to Raja Ravi Varma. I am delighted to see the work carried by the Founder Trustees, especially Gitanjali Maini an enthusiastic, dynamic person with a dedication to the artistic legacy of Raja Ravi Varma has created a sound base for Raja Ravi Varma and related happenings. The Foundation, through the process is facilitating the new generation to appreciate and understand Indian mythology through the visual culture created by Raja Ravi Varma. I am proud to have been associated with them, delivering a lecture to commemorate his 170th birthday and release the movie 'Beyond the Arch'. I wish them all success in preserving and passing to future generations the grand heritage of Raja Ravi Varma."

Dr. Choodamani added another feather to her burgeoning and illustrious cap, releasing her book titled “Ramappa Temple – Crest Jewel of Kakatiya Art and Architecture” at Palampet on September 26. The book was released by Kakatiya Heritage Trust on the occasion of evaluation of the Ramappa Temple - India’s lone entry – as UNESCO World Heritage site.

Dr. Choodamani’s book is a in-depth study of the Ramappa Temple, and adorned with beautiful photographs and line drawings. It is probably the only academic study of the world-renowned site after an almost 100-year old report, back in 1922, on the Temples of Palampet.

Dr. Choodamani gave a detailed presentation of art, dance and architecture of the Ramappa Temple, which is situated some 75 km away from Warangal, Andhra Pradesh.

(Late) Gary Arseneau

Artist, Creator of original lithographs

"Raja Ravi Varma was an accomplished and talented artist. In my research for my monograph, I came to appreciate Raja Ravi Varma's paintings and even the chromist-made reproductions of his paintings. Therefore, I am glad to hear that the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation will begin to accurately represent his true legacy. In closing, I commend the courage and character of you and your colleagues, at the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation, to give full and honest disclosure to Raja Ravi Varma's oeuvre."

Conservation & Restoration

Rupika Chawla

Expert Talks

Dr. Usha R Balakrishnan

Art and Jewellery Historian

"Ravi Varma is etched in our collective memory and the opportunity to share what few people have looked at and few people have studied is an honour and a privilege. I look at a Ravi Varma painting from a totally different perspective that an art connoisseur would, I delve into the paintings, I study the jewellery, the textile, and the opportunity to share this with like minded people invited by Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation has been an immense pleasure and a great privilege."

(Late) Dr. Patrick Connors

Lecturer at Yale University Art Gallery, Philadelphia Museum of Art and Drexel School of Medicine

"Raja Ravi Varma’s achievements as a visual poet, are an impressive range of genre including Indian myths, scenes from life, ideals of beauty, and portraiture. Together, his oeuvre helped shape the perception of the emerging modern India and modern individual Indian. Raja Ravi Varma’s mastery of oil paint, his preferred medium of artistic expression, conveyed his distinctive poetry, his charm, his love of the human form or in the case of his mythical depictions, his love of depicting deities."

(Late) Olaf Van Cleef

Artist & Jewellery Designer
The Art of Embellishment

Rukmini Varma

Chairperson TRRVHF
Hidden Truth: Raja Ravi Varma: The Inside Story

Textile Revival

Gaurang Shah

Textile Revivalist

Lavina Baldota

Khadi Revivalist

Researchers & References

Manu S. Pillai

Author: The Ivory Throne & Rebel Sultans
Winner of the 2017 Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar

"I have had the pleasure of speaking at the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation on more than one occasion, and was delighted to see the commitment they evince to not only celebrating the legacy of India's most distinguished classical painter, but also in understanding the period he lived in, and the flowering of Indian art and culture in his day. The Foundation has highlighted the works of forgotten painters from that era, and is proactively pursuing the creation of a home for their legacies that were scattered, so far, across India. The book events conducted by the Foundation were exceedingly well-attended, bringing together distinguished minds from Bangalore and elsewhere. It is always a privilege to return not only for the lovely events the Foundation offers, but also to study works by old masters that every now and then pass through its hall, bringing alive a different age in an altogether wonderful experience."

Partha Mitter

Writer and Historian of art and culture, Emeritus Professor in Art History, University of Sussex,
Member of Wolfson College, Oxford and Hon. Fellow Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Vasudha Narayanan

Distinguished Professor and Chair at the Department of Religion
Director, Center For the Study of Hindu Traditions (CHiTra), University of Florida
Past President, American Academy of Religion

Richard H. Davis

Professor of Religion and Asian Studies, Classical Studies, Religion, Theology, Bard College
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.

Professor Davis’s primary research and teaching interests include classical and medieval Hinduism, Indian history, South Asian visual arts, and Sanskrit. He is the author of six books including Lives of Indian Images and A Priest’s Guide To The Great Festival.

Special Lectures

Rukmini Varma

Chairperson RRVHF
The Timeless Art of Raja Ravi Varma

Jay Varma

Trustee RRVHF and Artist
In Search of his Roots

Gitanjali Maini

Managing Trustee & CEO RRVFH
An Eye for the Ages

Video & Film-editing

Dr. Anandana Kapur

Fulbright Filmmaker, Restoring A Master’s Glory

Vikas Urs

Filmmaker, Wanderers Between Worlds

Rachel Fedde

Documentary Film-maker, Five Faces of Shiva

Exclusive Association with Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation for 5th year celebrations


Trika Films

For making “Beyond The Arch”, a film on Ravi Varma’s birthplace, Kilimanoor

Nandith Jaisimha

Photographer, Cinematographer, Studio 080

Introductory snapshots on The World of Raja Ravi Varma: Princes & Patrons

Recommended Reference Books on Ravi Varma & Art Styles

Rupika Chawla

Author: Raja Ravi Varma: Painter Of Colonial India

Erwin Neumayer and Christine Schelberger

Author: Raja Ravi Varma: Portrait Of An Artist & The Diary Of Raja Raja Varma

Mark Baron, Vasudha Narayanan, Richard H. Davis

Gods in Print
Masterpieces of India’s Mythological Art
A Century of Sacred Art (1870-1970)

Usha R. Balakrishnan

Co-Author: Dance Of The Peacock

Parsram Mangharam

Author: Raja Ravi Varma: The Painter Prince

Ralph Mayer

Author: The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques

Deepanjana Pal

Author: The Painter: A Life Of Ravi Varma

Top-5 recommended visits for original and other Ravi Varma masterpieces

In its endeavour to identify original Ravi Varma works, the Foundation, having visited these museums/galleries recommends these five.

1. Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery, Mysore

2. Sri Chitra Art Gallery, Thiruvananthapuram

3. Maharajah Fateh Singh Museum, Baroda

4. Government Museum, Egmore

5. Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village, Manipal

Musical Associations

Kishat

Philharmonic Orchestra, Tripunithara

Proud Partners

Google Arts & Culture

Helping explore collections from around the world, created by Google Cultural Institute. Showcasing artworks, collections and stories of Ravi Varma in a new way through this digital platform.

Ongoing Associations

Geetanjali Sachdev

Dean
Post-Graduate Advanced Diploma Programs
Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology

Kumkum Nadig

Dean & Senior faculty, School of Design, Business and Technology, Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology
Creative Director, Co-Founder, Kena Design

Lisa Rasmussen

Illustrations

Prerna Bishnoi

Video Presentation

Botanical Verification

Dr. Shefali Sabharanjak
Alumnus NCBS
Prof Madhav A. Pendse
SP College, Pune
Vinaya Ghate
Agharkar Research Institute, Pune
Dr. Rangaian Ganesan
Ashoka Trust for Research In Ecology And The Environment



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