Page 33 - Pundole's Auction M0015
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Ravi Varma subsequently painted other canvases of Radha
in varying moods and emotions. In Radha at Kunja Van, her
face is alive with joy at having seen Krishna, her God and
her lover. And yes, the platter of homage is by her side
waiting to be picked up.
At other moments Radha turns wanton with her supreme
lover in Radha Madhav. Ravi Varma, with his talent for
narrative and sequential situations has visualised Radha
Madhav just a short while after Radha in the Moonlight.
She is seated on the same rock near the water as in the
moonlight painting while Krishna banters and plays with
her. In Manini Radha, she shows yet another mood. Our
uttama nayika who is allowed to throw a tantrum, sulks
upon Krishna’s late arrival and is being appeased by him
and her friend.
Radha at Kunja Van, oil on canvas, 33"×?27", undated.
Private collection.
Radha Madhav, oil on canvas, 27"×?19", undated. Oleograph of Manini Radha, late 1880s.
Image courtesy Piramal Art Foundation
While busy with travel, painting commissions and the
printing press, Ravi Varma had not forgotten his hope
of a museum for the common man. In August 1895,
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