Raja Ravi Verma
1848-1906
Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906) was one of India's most celebrated painters, renowned for blending European academic realism with Indian themes drawn from the epics and mythology. His depictions of Hindu gods, goddesses, and literary heroines, especially through affordable oleograph prints, brought fine art into ordinary Indian homes for the first time. Widely regarded as the father of modern Indian art, his imagery continues to shape how deities and classical subjects are visualised across India today.