KOCHI: For most art aficionados, coming in possession of the original lithograph of a renowned artist’s paintings may seem all but impossible. But G Viswanath, an ayurveda researcher and owner of Mysore Sandal Products in Mattanchery, is living this dream. He is now a proud copyright owner of an original lithograph of the ‘Galaxy of Musicians’, a celebrated work by Kerala’s Raja Ravi Varma, the legendary painter who redefined Indian art practice in the colonial times.
The painting portrays a group of Indian women from different social and religious backgrounds — a Muslim ghazal singer rendering Urdu verses to a Nair woman playing veena. The canvas, which emphasises the dresses and adornments of women from all over the country, is considered a central metaphor for India’s pluralistic culture, owing to the ‘unity in diversity’ theme that it manifests.
“One of the woman musicians in the painting bears a close resemblance to the love interest of Raja Ravi Varma. His family had prevented him from marrying her,” said Viswanath. Viswanath inherited the centuries-old lithograph carved on German stone from his grandfather Rengayya Shet. According to Viswanath, his grandfather had procured the printed work from British officials at a time when the imperialist rule was nearing its end in India.
Shet was involved in the business of selling silver filigree artifacts to British dignitaries. “The lithograph was taken from the original work of Raja Ravi Varma at the Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Baroda. British diplomats collected the work during a visit to the palace. Thereafter, no one was permitted to make copies of the original. It is still preserved in the palace,” he said.
Although Viswanath had applied for the copyright of the work in 2018, administrative delays and the subsequent Covid crisis hampered the process. Currently, the ‘Galaxy of Musicians’ is the only copyrighted work in his possession. However, he is hoping to receive the copyright ownership of five other such lithographic prints soon. ‘Victory of Indrajit’, ‘Vishwamitra and Menaka’, ‘Sri Rama Vanquishing the Sea’, ‘Arjuna and Subhadra’, and ‘Sri Krishna as Envoy’ are the other works of the iconic painter in his possession.
Gift for many generations
Viswanath inherited the centuries-old lithograph carved on German stone from his grandfather Rengayya Shet, who recieved it from British officials