Raja Ravi Varma, whose oil paintings were both aesthetically pleasing and realistic, blended Western styles with Indian themes to pioneer a new version of artworks.
These paintings of romantic realism were termed “dominantly Western”, but beyond the criticism for introducing Western influences, his bold art of Indian women became “controversial art” of the times.
In this blog, we will walk you through the definition of controversial imagery in detail and highlight Raja Ravi Varma’s major sensuous and debated paintings.
What is Controversial Art?
Traditionalists and moralists have always been ardent followers of stereotypes, conventions, and ancient notions. Move against the tide, and all you can experience is friction.
In simple words, creators, revolutionaries, or anyone interested in introducing a shift within this society have been subject to challenges. This is not restricted to a generation or two, but even today, advocates of change who are looking forward to a progressive society become controversial.
Beyond the gossip and the scandals, controversies can reflect a positive change in old beliefs, customs, and even the mindset. Similarly, controversial art is not meant to stir a sensation worldwide by grabbing headlines with its boldness.
Instead, it mirrors a world where an artwork is a powerful force, challenging the limitations created by us. In the Indian artistic culture, there have been several painters, like Raja Ravi Varma, M.F. Husain, and Amrita Shergill, whose artworks moved away from the set standards of religion, femininity, and sensuality.
Their paintings explored these themes in an era when controversies spread like wildfire, and people were less tolerant of them. The European Raja Ravi Varma painting techniques used for Hindu deities defied the sanctity of Indian traditions.
Even today, in some countries, religion is a sensitive issue, and those who defy the norms often face backlash and become controversial.
Raja Ravi Varma’s Famous Paintings of Sensuous Beauty
Raja Ravi Varma, the artist who popularised iconic paintings of Indian deities and calendar art, or oleography, created more than 2,000 artworks in his lifetime. Indian mythology was a major theme in his paintings.
His iconic paintings were controversial art as they showed women in their semi-nude forms, which was not acceptable in the conservative society of the times. Let us explore Raja Ravi Varma’s sensual paintings that became controversial.
Tilottama
Tilottama, whose name means “made of the finest and highest qualities”, is a celestial maiden or an apsara, born to Kashyapa-Prajapati and Pradha.
In the epic Mahabharata, her perfected being was created upon the request of Brahma, who plotted to destroy the demons (Asura) Sunda and Upashunda. Bewitched by her beauty, the two brothers ended up killing themselves out of jealousy.
In one of Raja Ravi Varma’s famous paintings or bold art, we can see the apsara descending from the heavens after her creation, playing with a ball of clouds. Paintings like these were not only aesthetically pleasing but also immensely influenced society and religion.
Often categorised as controversial art, his depictions of women possessed a glistening physical presence with “a tactile reality imbued with subtly nuanced flesh tones” adorned with glittering jewellery. The profound understanding of the human anatomy, proportions, along with Raja Ravi Varma’s painting techniques, made his artworks so popular.
Urvashi
The Tragic Love Story of Urvashi and King Pururavas: Urvashi is a celestial nymph in Indra’s court who came down from the heavens. King Pururavas fell in love with her, and they married on two conditions.
One that the king would never neglect her pet goats, and the second condition was that he would never appear in his nude form. If these conditions are violated, the nymph would go back to her abode.
The pair was so devoted that the Devas realised that it was time for the nymph to be back in the heavens. They hatched a plan to separate the two lovers by stealing her goats. On an unfortunate night, when the goats’ cries were heard, the nymph chided her husband, and as he was rushing to rescue them, a flash of lightning appeared in the sky, and Urvashi saw his husband in his naked self.
True to her words, Urvashi was forced to return, and King Pururavas was left heartbroken, desperately trying to stop her from deserting him.
Raja Ravi Varma’s famous paintings, like this, capture the complexities of love by displaying the nuances of Indian storytelling.
It also highlights the emotions of desperation and tragedy in passion, creating a visual masterpiece that remains immortal for years. Despite the emotive depth of this artwork, this bold art stirred controversy in the past.
The paintings of Raja Ravi Varma had an underlying sense of sensuality in their smirk or gaze, and these semi-nude artworks were sacrilegious in the eyes of traditionalists and moralists.
Bottom Line
Raja Ravi Varma’s famous paintings, or controversial art by Raja Ravi Varma, like Tilottama and Urvashi, were emotively deep and could be defined as bold art of sensuous women.
Indian mythology, like the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas, is a rich treasure house of stories, and the Indian painter of modern art narrated these epics in their best versions on the canvas.
Although bold for the era, Raja Ravi Varma became a common name for people across India as he popularised oleographies and made paintings accessible to all. Even today, the finesse which he brought to his art makes every art lover appreciate the aesthetics of his paintings.
Raja Ravi Varma is a name we will remember not because he created semi-nude art, but because he challenged the stereotypes and fearlessly created art for art’s sake.