Raja Ravi Varma’s Printing Press and the Po...

Raja Ravi Varma’s Printing Press and the Popular Prints

Author Name : Dr. K. Prabhu

ABSTRACT

The major distinction in Ravi Varma’s career of success and publicity was through two main channels, the first, the prestigious network of British fine art exhibitions and awards and, second was the new technology of reproduction of paintings through engraving, lithography and oleography. Reproduction of Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings had been circulated before he had printed them by himself, in the form of photographs after a Bombay exhibition in 1891. In 1884, T.N. Madhava Rao wrote Ravi Varma and encouraged him to take advantage of the commercial market and have his paintings sent to Germany to be oleographed

Key Words: new technology, reproduction, paintings, engraving, lithography and oleography, Keechak Sairandhri, magazine illustration, signboard painting, technical drafting, and photograph retouching.

 Christopher Pinney , “Photos of the Gods”, 2004