A new book on Raja Ravi Varma attempts to sketch his life and of course, his art

At the launch of her biography on Raja Ravi Varma, Rupika Chawla, Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla's wife,

Author and art conservator Rupika Chawla with her book at the launchu00a0 Pic/SANTOSH NAGWEKAR

revealed how she first 'met' the artist, while curating his works for an exhibition in the 1990s. The conservator found the Kerala painter intriguing. Nearly two decades later, after tracing his life, locating lost paintings, and interviewing descendants of his family members, friends and acquaintances, Raja Ravi Varma, Painter of Colonial India was born. Published by Mapin, the richly illustrated hardbound book provides a peek into the artist's inner world, his muses, visits to different parts of the country and the influences in his work. A must for any art or history lover or simply anyone who can appreciate the exquisiteness of Ravi Varma's work.

At the launch attended by Ravi Varma's great-grandson, Padmanabha Dasa Marthanda Varma, there was a poignant moment while governor K Sankaranarayanan released the book. He mentioned being a fan of the painter and that he owned a couple of Ravi Varma's works. When Padmanabha Dasa was called upon to speak, he remarked that he was envious of the governor, since he had but one of his great-grandfather's paintings.

In a quick chat, author Rupika Chawla picks her favourites from his many masterpieces, and tries to etch with words, the kind of person Ravi Varma must have been.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

What about Raja Ravi Varma that struck you the most?
The fact that so little was known about this painter. Who was he? How was he able to make the kind of paintings he made, what motivated him, what was his background, the times he lived in, who were the people he knew, his collectors, the value of his artu00a0-- then and now, his technique and method of painting, the people who were influenced by him and the value of his art today. In my research, all these questions were answered, and much more than that came my way.