BENGALURU: In one way or another, the divine imagery of Hindu gods and goddesses subtly permeates our daily lives, often without us even realising it. Long before television and films began portraying these deities, iconic visuals such as the Goddess Lakshmi standing on a lotus or the fierce manifestation of Kali had already been imprinted in our minds, even if one is not particularly religious or a connoisseur of such art.
Tracing the origins of these lifelike depictions leads us to Raja Ravi Varma, one of India’s most iconic artists, who revolutionised the portrayal of gods and goddesses by humanising these ethereal beings, paying meticulous attention to every detail–from fabrics, hairstyles to jewellery and furnishings.
Lawyer and writer Ganesh Shivaswamy, in his ongoing six-volume series, delves into the social, religious, and aesthetic impact of the Raja Ravi Varma Press, which played a crucial role in democratising the artist’s works. The third volume, titled Raja Ravi Varma: An Everlasting Imprint – A Divine Omnipresence (`4,500, White Falcon Publishing), was recently released in the city.
As a self-professed outsider in the art world, Shivaswamy was initially unsure about the reception his works would receive, particularly by academics who had long studied Ravi Varma. “I was concerned about how the art community would react,” he admits. “But people have responded positively and appreciate an outsider’s perspective.”
In An Everlasting Imprint: A Divine Omnipresence, Shivaswamy turns his focus to the sacred images created by the Ravi Varma Press, which have become objects of worship in countless homes. Unlike the previous volumes, which explored the artist’s creative process and the functioning of the press, this volume centres on images intended for ‘darshan’– the act of seeing and being seen by the divine.
“While Rama, for instance, can be part of both worship and narrative imagery, in this volume, I concentrate solely on the worship aspect. The title reflects how these images, disseminated through print, made their divine presence felt across India,” explains Shivaswamy.
The book offers readers an in-depth look at the process behind these sacred images, from their initial conception to their widespread distribution. Shivaswamy’s research uncovers new material that sheds light on the creation of these images, including photographs of the people who posed for Raja Ravi Varma.
“For example, in the famous Lakshmi image, for the first time, you can see the girl who posed for Raja Ravi Varma in a photograph. She’s holding pencils in her hand and standing there posing. We’ve always worshipped the goddess, but now we can see the girl behind the image,” he shares.
Researching and writing this series has not been without its challenges. “The process of writing was consistent across all the volumes since the research was done in one go,” says Shivaswamy. However, organising the material into thematic volumes was a daunting task, ultimately leading him to adopt an approach that allowed for a deeper exploration of the diverse impact of Ravi Varma’s art.
Another challenge was gaining access to material. Shivaswamy’s longstanding relationships with relevant families and collectors allowed him to present new findings that had previously been inaccessible to the public. Among the treasures he uncovered are some of the earliest chromolithographs from the Ravi Varma Press, dating back to 1894 which have never been seen before, and images from various religions, including Islamic and Protestant Christian imagery.
With three volumes published and three more in the pipeline, Shivaswamy is committed to completing his magnum opus by 2025.