Every art enthusiast is well aware of the kind of impact that Raja Ravi Varma had during his era on art. Though he was born on 29th April 1848 and died on 2nd October 1906, his paintings are till now considered as the masterpieces due to many aesthetical reasons and exceptionally endowed artistic abilities. The works of Raja Ravi Varma were a perfect meld of European techniques in the Indian traditional paintings. Not just this, the artist is also known for making art affordable for the masses as he, with an intention to disseminate art to people of every section of the society started selling lithographs.
Moreover, his paintings have mostly been figurative and have been used for depicting Hindu deities. The way this artist used to embody the gods was loved so much so by the people that they became an integral constituent of the calendars of Hindus. Furthermore, out of all the paintings of Hindu deities, masses developed a special liking for the Krishna paintings made by him. While most of the artists only focused on making Radha Krishna paintings, he strived to showcase every aspect of Lord Krishna’s life.
Hence, in this blog post, we have mentioned few of his most famous Krishna depictions along with Radha Krishna paintings made by him. So, keep reading to know the implied meaning of each of these paintings and to know the thought that the artist had while making these paintings.
- Introduction of Radha to Krishna –
The most tragic yet treasured love saga in the Indian epics is the love story of Radha and Krishna. The artist made this painting as a representation of the scene when Radha was first introduced to Krishna. The river Kalindi is shown in the backdrop which is adding to the beauty of the painting even more. Moreover, Radha is shown embracing the ideal traits of a woman which are innocence, shyness, and beauty. Lord Krishna is shown playing a melodious tune on his flute to impress and garner the attention of Radha. However, she is feeling too shy and is resisting to look into his eyes. Similarly, the artist had made many Radha Krishna paintings keeping in mind these intricacies.
- Yashoda with Krishna-
In Bhagwat Purana, it has been mentioned that Krishna was not the real son of Yashoda but that of Devaki. It is believed that Devaki gave Krishna to Yashoda on the birth night so as to protect Krishna from her brother, Kansa.
This painting is a beautiful depiction of eternal motherly love that Yashoda had for him. Although Krishna was not the child of Yashoda by blood, she took care of him as his own, very dearly. Krishna is shown wearing a crown and jewels. Moreover, Raja Ravi Varma has used bright colors to upgrade the aesthetic appeal of this painting further.
- Radha and Madhav-
This painting is considered as one of the finest examples of divine Radha Krishna paintings till now. Madhav is another name of Krishna. In this painting, Radha and Krishna are shown displaying their affection and fondness for each other. Radha is wearing a deep blue blouse and deep red saree while Krishna is shown wearing yellow. Moreover, the bodies of both of them are embellished with layers of jewelry. Radha is sitting on a stone which is flattened by the flowing river water. Furthermore, the river Kalindi and the green trees and grass are serving as a beautiful background. The artist has made the backdrop using lighter shades, so as to make subjects all the more protuberant.
- Krishna and Balarama-
Balarama is believed to be the elder brother of Krishna and is a revered Hindu Deity who is popular especially in the Jagannath tradition. In this Krishna painting, Raja Ravi Varma has attempted to show the love, unity, and bravery which both these cousin brothers had. The scene in the painting is depicting the time when Balarama and Krishna freed the real parents of Lord Krishna (Vasudeva and Devaki) from the prison of his uncle Kansa who was the King of Mathura at that time. The painting is very delicately transcending the emotions of his parents. They are shown hugging and kissing Balarama and Krishna. Moreover, the subjects in the painting are made with acute precision.
The aforementioned creations of Raja Ravi Varma were the ones which we find exceptionally beautiful. However, this is just a stone throw in the sea of paintings that have been made by this wonderful artist. So, let us know in the comments which Krishna painting is your favorite out of the ones mentioned here. Also, don’t forget to share this post with a lover of traditional paintings.