In a soft, luminous woodland landscape, three young South Asian women occupy the foreground while a fourth, older figure in pale draped cloth walks away at far left with a staff. At right, Shakuntala stands barefoot on one leg, lifting her other foot behind her with one hand as if pausing to remove a thorn, though her turned face carries a soft, distant, almost secretive expression. She wears a rose-pink sari, floral garlands, earrings, bracelets, and flowers tucked into her dark hair. Beside her, one companion in a pale cream wrap faces us with a knowing smile, while another, seen mostly from the back, wears a pink drape and carries a basket filled with bright flowers. Behind them rise green trees, a narrow stream, and hazy blue hills under a pale sky touched with peach and blue. Indian artist Raja Ravi Varma builds the painting around a moment of emotional disguise. Shakuntala is not truly occupied by a thorn. She is stealing one more look at King Dushyanta, the beloved she is reluctant to leave. That blend of modesty, desire, and performance gives the work its enduring tension. The subject comes from the Shakuntala story known from the Mahabharata and especially from Kalidasa’s celebrated drama, where longing, memory, and recognition shape the lovers’ fate. By 1898, Varma was already famous for painting Indian epic and literary figures with European-inflected realism, helping make such popular. Here he gives the story a texture of lived feeling: friendship, flirtation, hesitation, and the charged instant before departure. The companions are not background figures but co-conspirators who understand what Shakuntala cannot openly say. The painting’s beauty lies in that social intimacy. Love is shown not as spectacle, but as a private emotion briefly made visible through a turned a lifted foot and turned glance backward. Today, it is one of Varma’s most memorable images of feminine intelligence and desire, where gesture itself becomes narrative.

"Shakuntala Removing a Thorn from Her Foot" by Raja Ravi Varma / രാജാ രവിവർമ്മ (Indian) - Oil on canvas / 1898 - Sree Chitra Art Gallery (Thiruvananthapuram, India) #WomenInArt #RajaRaviVarma #राजारविवर्मा #Varma #SreeChitraArtGallery #IndianArt #IndianArtist #artText #RaviVarma #GaneshShivaswamyFoundation

Blind Babu: Nawazuddin Siddiqui joins forces with Ravi Varma for his next Mumbai, Sep 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Acclaimed actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has joined forces with filmmaker Ravi Varma for his next titled "Blind Babu". It seems like the project has already gone on floor as Ravi took to his official Instagram handle and announced the project by sharing a picture with his lead actor. They were also holding a clapperboard with the film's name on it, suggesting that the shoot had commenced.

Blind Babu: Nawazuddin Siddiqui joins forces with Ravi Varma for his next #BlindBabuNawazuddinSiddiqui #RaviVarma #socialnewsxyz

"Rani of Kurupam" was Sri Rani Sahiba Lakshmi Narasayamma Patta Mahadevi, the younger daughter of Maharajah Sir Goday Narayana Gajapthi Rao and wife of Sri Raja Vyricherla Virbhadra Raju Bahadur, the Raja of Kurupam, a small village in the Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. Renowned Indian artist Raja Ravi Varma was commissioned by her husband who took “very keenly to heart” the death of his young wife. In fact, we are only seeing part of a larger 1902 portrait with both the Raja and Rani of Kurupam: her seated at a small table and him standing in a royal outfit and headress beside the table. In this image, we can only see the right hand of the Raja resting on table. Varma used photographs to recreate her likeness, playing up her features to please the heartbroken monarch. The Rani is depicted in resplendent attire, adorned with Basra pearls, diamonds, sapphires, and gold-woven fabrics. She is dressed in a richly-textured light sky blue sari with subtle embroidery around the sleeves and the edges. She is adorned with an impressive array of jewelry including a large diamond and pearl necklace, multiple strands of pearls, diamond earrings, and numerous bracelets on her wrists—some appear to be diamond and others a darker gemstone. Her hair is neatly styled and accented with a large hair ornament featuring diamonds and sparkling stones. Her pose is relaxed yet dignified. the Rani rests her raised left hand on her temple, her gaze directed towards us with a soft, contemplative expression. Her right hand gently touches a portion of a deep maroon cloth draped over a piece of furniture. The interior background is indistinct, muted tones of brown and beige. The overall lighting is soft and even, highlighting the Rani's features and the sparkle of her jewelry. The mood is one of grace and elegance. The portrait is a poignant reminder of the Raja's grief and love for his wife, and it's considered a significant example of Ravi Varma's work.

"Rani of Kurupam" by Raja Ravi Varma (Indian) - Oil on canvas / 1902 - Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation (Bengaluru, India) #WomenInArt #art #artText #IndianArt #PortraitofaWoman #RajaRaviVarma #RaviVarma #Varma #artwork #IndianArtist #beauty #Portrait #OilPainting #RajaRaviVarmaHeritageFoundation

#RajaRaviVarma (1848-1906), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV and Rana Prathap Kumari of Kathiawar
1904
Srikantha Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, The Palace, Mysore
#RaviVarma #IndianArt

#RajaRaviVarma (1848-1906), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Mahaprabha Thampuratti of Mavelikkara, Raja Ravi Varma's daughter, holding her son Marthanda Varma
1893
Kowdiar Palace
#RaviVarma #IndianArt

#RajaRaviVarma (1848-1906), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Rani Bharani Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi (1848-1901)
1883
Sree Chitra Art Gallery
#RaviVarma #IndianArt

#RajaRaviVarma (1848-1906), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of a Malabar Beauty
before 1906
#RaviVarma #IndianArt

#RajaRaviVarma (1848-1906), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Pooruruttathi Thirunal Mahaprabha Amma Thampuran (1855-91)
before 1891
Private Collection
#RaviVarma #IndianArt

#RajaRaviVarma (1848-1906), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Maharani Chimanbai
ca. 1890s
Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum
#RaviVarma #IndianArt

#RajaRaviVarma (1848-1906), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Thara Varini
1896
Collection of Dr. M.A. Chidambaram, Chennai, Tamilnadu
#RaviVarma #IndianArt

#RajaRaviVarma (1848-1906), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of a Woman Holding a Fan
ca. 1895-1900
Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation, Bengaluru
#RaviVarma #IndianArt

#RajaRaviVarma (1848-1906), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of A Tamil Lady Playing the Swarbat
1874
Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation, Bengaluru
#RaviVarma #IndianArt

#RajaRaviVarma (1848-1906), who was #BornOnThisDay
Portrait of Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran (1845-1914)
1880
Sree Chitra Art Gallery
#RaviVarma #IndianArt

Chapter 12 of the Eighth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam describes the episode when the feminine form (avatar) of Lord Vishnu mesmerized Lord Shiva. Mohini manifested herself in the presence of Lord Shiva and his consort Uma in a forest of trees with pink flowers wearing a shining saree and playing with a ball. Verse 21 of Chapter 12, states that as Mohini played with the Ball, her saree came loose and her hair scattered. Raja Ravi Varma captures this moment in this painting. Mohini is depicted in a picturesque outdoor meadow and forest settings as a youthful beautiful South Asian woman, with long thick black hair down to her waist, playing with a small red ball as her exquisite purple saree falls exposing her bare midriff. Raja Ravi Varma painted several versions of this pose, one of which is used as an exemplar for the chromolithograph, Tilottama which was printed at the Ravi Varma Press. Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) was a prolific Indian artist who is recognized for his academic realistic style of painting. His portraits of English and Indian royalty and aristocracy were well received. His paintings on Hindu religious and mythological subjects and paintings from classical and literary sources were highly sought after even during his lifetime. As is the case with Mohini, he painted several copies of his works and this demand led to the suggestion to have his paintings printed in the form of oleographs. The Ravi Varma Fine Art Lithographic Press was established in Bombay (now Mumbai) and commenced operations in 1894. Many of Ravi Varma's paintings were printed as chromolithographs at this Press. These chromolithographs have had a tremendous impact on religion, society and aesthetics throughout South Asia and India. They went on to democratize art leading to immortalize Ravi Varma in the minds of the people of the Indian subcontinent.

Mohini Playing with a Ball (പന്തുകളിക്കുന്ന വനിത) by Raja Ravi Varma (Indian) - Oil on canvas board / c. 1894 - Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation (Bengaluru, India) #womeninart #art #oilpainting #IndianArt #RajaRaviVarma #Varma #artwork #womensart #IndianArtist #beauty #RaviVarma #GaneshShivaswamyFoundation

Reclining Nair Lady is a 1903 painting (sometimes listed as 1897 or 1902 even though it is signed on the front as 1903) by the Indian artist Raja Ravi Varma. The painting features a recumbent Nair (or Nayar) woman, with a book open in front of her while attended by a maid. The beautiful young bronze woman gazes calmly at directly at us while resting her head in her right hand and relaxes with an open book, while a maid cools her down with a palm leaf fan. The painting highlights the Nair woman's wealth and status with details like the velvet cushions, tassels, and intricate work on her jewelry. The gold borders on the mundu (garment) are done to perfection Believed to have been modeled after the heroine of the popular Malayalam novel "Indulekha" by O.C. Menon, the painting alludes to Édouard Manet’s masterpiece "Olympia" from 1863. Nevertheless, it is apparent that a stylistic and a cultural adaptation have occurred in Ravi Varma’s painting to suit his and other local sentiments. In this painting, the central character, a young educated Nair woman in 19th century Kerala, can be seen wearing a mundum neryathum (a two-set upper and lower garment that eventually evolved into a saree), kasu malai (garland of coins), ruby-studded gold bangles, earrings and necklaces. Her hair is in an elaborate up do as was commonly worn by Nair women. A strand of jasmine flowers and pink roses adorns her elaborate bun. Ravi Varma was among the first Indian artists to use oil paints with this work being a clear example his skills. He frequently painted aristocratic women in traditional attire, reclining on a bed or lost in thought. His specialty was realism so that each costume and piece of jewelry looks exactly like the original and, like furniture and interiors, were accurate at the time he worked.

Reclining Nair Lady by Raja Ravi Varma (Indian) - Oil on canvas / 1903 -Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation (Bengaluru, India) #womeninart #oilpainting #art #IndianArt #RajaRaviVarma #artwork #RaviVarma #portraitofawoman #womensart #IndianArtist #fineart #Nayar #beauty #rest #relaxation #reading

Mohini (मोहिनी) is the Hindu goddess of enchantment. She is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. She is portrayed as a femme fatale, an enchantress, who maddens lovers and demons, sometimes leading them to their doom. Mohini is introduced into Hinduism in the narrative epic of the Mahabharata. Here, she appears as a form of Vishnu following the Churning of the Ocean, a mesmerising beauty who distributes the amrita (the elixir of immortality) to the weakened devas (gods) and depriving it to the dominant asuras (demons), allowing the former to defeat the latter with their newfound immortality. This painting is from the tale of the destruction of Bhasmasura, the ash-demon. Ravi Varma portrays Mohini innocently enjoying herself on a swing with long black hair blowing in the wind and her bare feet extended forward in glee within in a fantastic landscape surrounded by nature’s flora amidst woodlands where Bhasmasura was hiding (but watching her every move). The enticement of Mohini is conducted without any vestige of suspicion that could alert Bhasmasura. Raja Ravi Varma is often hailed as one of India’s most important artists. He was from Kilimanoor, in the state of Travancore. His art was much sought after by the Royals of India including realistic portrayals of contemporary figures and interpretations of religious and mythological figures.

Mohini मोहिनी (aka Mohini on a Swing) by Raja Ravi Varma (Indian) - Oil on canvas / 1894 - Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation (Bangalore, India) #womeninart #rajaravivarma #oilpainting #indianart #swing #mohini #मोहिनी #goddess #artwork #art #womensart #fun #ravivarma #painting #beauty #femmefatale