CHENNAI: Lithographs have been collected and admired by art enthusiasts for decades. The arduous process of engraving a stone and printing with multiple layers of colours has resulted in limited original lithographs, making them extremely valuable and sought after. Ashvita’s, an online auction house and fine art collectibles store, owned by Ashvin E. Rajagopalan and Sruti Harihara Subramanian, is showcasing three large-format original lithographs at their debut pop-up shop on July 22 and 23.
A first-come, first-serve sale, the pop-up shop will give the buyers only ten minutes to mull over their decision once an item is added to the cart. “The products are rare and limited, so we are trying to introduce the element of thrill. These things are one-of-a-kind; you should grab them before they are gone,” says Ashvin. Unlike Ashvita’s usual auctions, there is no bidding but a fixed price, ranging from Rs 18,000-Rs 36,000.
The first lithograph on sale is an image of Shree Lakshmi on a lake, amid mountains and forests, painted by Vasudeo H Pandya. This 1928 original is based on Raja Ravi Varma’s oleograph ‘Standing Lakshmi’, and was printed in Germany. The second artwork of Kothanda Ram by G Venkatesh Rao was painted in 1927 for the Ravi Varma FAL Works and is often inaccurately attributed to Varma instead. The final artwork is a Sunlight Soap Calendar from 1928, featuring a visual of Lord Vishnu. Calendar art featuring Hindu gods was often used by British brands as a way to appeal to the natives as it made worship more
accessible.
“Companies would use lithographs to advertise their products. That way, they would give away a utilitarian product — a calendar — and poster in one. But it remains preserved for 90 years because it is more than just a calendar. People understand that there is an art form to lithography,” shares Ashvin. The signed artworks are roughly 70 x 50 cm, large in size compared to typical lithographs.
Ashvita’s plans to conduct more such pop-up shops; most likely, once every alternate week. Comic books, collectable action figures, signed comic strips, coins, stamps, postcards, and movie posters will soon be on display. Marvel fans should look out for the storyboards from the original ‘Amazing Spiderman’ that may soon be on sale!
To register, visit ashvitas.com. Time: 10 am (July 22) to 7 pm (July 23)