Two of Raja Ravi Varma’s unfinished works, The Parsi Lady and a portrait, will be unveiled at Kilimanoor Palace, near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, on the occasion of his 175th birth anniversary on April 29

Two of Raja Ravi Varma’s unfinished works will be unveiled at Kilimanoor Palace, near Thiruvananthapuram

Summer skies and trees heavy with fruit paint a picturesque backdrop to the red-tiled sprawling palace with brilliant white walls at Kilimanoor, about 33 km from Thiruvananthapuram. Built in the native architectural style of Kerala, quietude envelopes the palace with wide verandahs, courtyards and long corridors.

It was in this rambling palace that eminent artist Raja Ravi Varma was born on April 29, 1848, to Ezhumavil Neelakanthan Bhattatiripad and Uma Ambabayi Thampuratti. As a child, the little prince liked to draw and doodle on the walls with charcoal. Till he was taken to Thiruvananthapuram at the age of 14 by his uncle Raja Raja Varma, to present him before the then monarch of Travancore, Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal, he stayed in the palace and had his education under the watchful eyes of his uncle who also taught him the basics of painting.  

It is easy to imagine the palace as it was at the turn of the century. Little seems to have changed and the only outward sign of modernity is a bright yellow school bus parked on the Palace grounds.

The majestic archway entrance to the palace leads to a sunlit room with an easel in a corner, near a window with large glass panes. Overlooking the flowering garden and emerald green paddy fields, the studio commands a panoramic view of the surroundings.

It was here in this serene ambience that artist Raja Ravi Varma painted some of his masterpieces. The studio, called the Chitrashala, which he designed, was built around 1875, as an extension of the Pazhayamalika, where he used to reside. The north-eastern corner of the studio where a dusty, aged easel stands has huge glass windows through which sunlight floods the room.

It is said that Ravi Varma used to stand here from dawn to dusk, painting in the natural light. His disciple and younger brother Raja Raja Varma used to be with him as he sketched outlines on canvas and planned a painting. The studio used to bustle with his assistants and students who used to help him complete his works.  A photograph in the studio shows the artist relaxing on a low bed, listening to recitations from the epics and other religious texts.

At present, there are only prints of some of his famous paintings, a few photographs, a majestic portrait of the artist and a marble bust of his younger sister Mangala Bayi. Paint brushes and a palette are kept near the easel.