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"There Comes Papa" oil on Canvas by
Raja Ravi Varma
This
is the famous painting named ‘There Comes Papa’ of Raja Ravi
Varma. Raja Ravi Varma (29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was an Indian
artist from the princely state of Travancore (presently in Kerala,
India) who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the
epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. His paintings are considered
to be among the best examples of the fusion of Indian traditions with the
techniques of European academic art.
Varma
is most remembered for his paintings of sari-clad women portrayed as shapely
and graceful. Varma's paintings became an important motif of the time,
reproductions being found in almost every middle-class home. His exposure
in the west came when he won the first prize in the Vienna Art Exhibition
in 1873. He left for the holy abode on 2nd October 1906, at the age of 58
leaving behind his legacy of amazing paintings.
Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings of beautiful sari (Indian cloth) clad women have also received recognition in the west. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. He played a significant role in the Bengal School of Art and was part of the evolution of Indian art. Raja Ravi Varma's paintings portrayed Indian myth with static realism.
Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings of beautiful sari (Indian cloth) clad women have also received recognition in the west. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. He played a significant role in the Bengal School of Art and was part of the evolution of Indian art. Raja Ravi Varma's paintings portrayed Indian myth with static realism.
This
famous painting named ‘There Comes Papa’ of Raja Ravi Varma is a portrait of
Mahaprabha Thampuratti of Mavelikkara, Raja Ravi Varma’s daughter holding her
daughter HH Sethu Lakshmi Bayi who became the queen of Travancore, India. This
painting depicts the scene where a lady is eagerly waiting for her husband to
come back home.
This
piece is painted oil on canvas; in the year 1893. Current location of the
original painting is Kowdiar Palace, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
This
painting is a portrait of the woman of the contemporary era. The perennial
favorite theme of mother and child is depicted in this painting ever so
delicately. Most painters find the subject of a small child difficult to
tackle. Not so this artist. What a delight to the eye! The mother’s expression,
the clothes and her figure are all exact and thoroughly compliments this true
masterpiece.
The women wearing a nice white gold bordered traditional cloth. Her hair was nicely done and decorated with flowers. She is wearing gold jewellery and traditional nose pin. In her left hand she is holding her baby. The baby is sited in her mother’s cozy lap, not wearing much cloths but she is also wearing gold jewelry and her hair also done nicely. Both the mother and the daughter wearing bindi (a dot on their forehead). I can see the bed from the door behind the dog. It looks like a very prosperous and wealthy family of India.
The artist plays with light and darkness to focus the attention to the main character of the scene. We can see a dog sitting with the women, may her pet dog and also eagerly waiting for its master to come. The scene takes place at the entrance of the house. They all are looking towards the entrance. I can see a chair behind the woman in the dark and one red color shawl or red piece of cloth. As red color symbolizes deep love I think here in the painting this deep red color also symbolizes deep love for the man of the family behind the story of waiting. I also think in this painting Varma wanted to show the love for the men of the family in the eyes of the family members.
The women wearing a nice white gold bordered traditional cloth. Her hair was nicely done and decorated with flowers. She is wearing gold jewellery and traditional nose pin. In her left hand she is holding her baby. The baby is sited in her mother’s cozy lap, not wearing much cloths but she is also wearing gold jewelry and her hair also done nicely. Both the mother and the daughter wearing bindi (a dot on their forehead). I can see the bed from the door behind the dog. It looks like a very prosperous and wealthy family of India.
The artist plays with light and darkness to focus the attention to the main character of the scene. We can see a dog sitting with the women, may her pet dog and also eagerly waiting for its master to come. The scene takes place at the entrance of the house. They all are looking towards the entrance. I can see a chair behind the woman in the dark and one red color shawl or red piece of cloth. As red color symbolizes deep love I think here in the painting this deep red color also symbolizes deep love for the man of the family behind the story of waiting. I also think in this painting Varma wanted to show the love for the men of the family in the eyes of the family members.
In
this painting, Ravi Varma express his idea of Indian culture and story of a
woman’s every day affair. One scholar said that he might be representing his
family story because his wife used to wait like this for him.
Raja
Ravi Varma’s this works finely blended the elements of the early Tanjore custom
of painting Nayikas (the feminine emotions being the central theme) and the
graceful realism of European masters. Ravi Varma had been using the indigenous
paints made from leaves, flowers, tree bark and soil which his uncle Raja Raja
Varma prepared for him. His first set of oil paints was brought from Madras
after noticing a newspaper advertisement. Excited and nervous, he handled the
paints he had waited for a long time. With oil paints applied thickly on
canvas, Ravi Varma created lustrous, impacted jewelry, brocaded textures, and
subtle shades of complexions in this picture.
Ravi Varma’s fame as a portrait artist soared with several important portrait commissions, and the sensitivity and immense competence this artist still remains unsurpassed. His depictions of Indian women drew such appreciation that a beautiful woman would often be described as looking “as if she had stepped out of a Varma canvas.”
Ravi Varma’s fame as a portrait artist soared with several important portrait commissions, and the sensitivity and immense competence this artist still remains unsurpassed. His depictions of Indian women drew such appreciation that a beautiful woman would often be described as looking “as if she had stepped out of a Varma canvas.”
Sources of the picture and
writings :
1 comment:
The kids supposed to be a boy. ALso just FYI its a portrait of Ravi Verma's daughter and grandson
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