Lot 139: RAJA RAVI VARMA (1848 - 1906)

RAJA RAVI VARMA (1848 - 1906) Nala and Damayanti Signed 'Ravi Varma' lower right Oil on canvas 71 x 51 in. (180.4 x 130 cm.)

The mythological legend of Nala and Damayanti was one of Ravi Varma's favorite subjects, and a theme he revisited frequently. He painted a similar work for the Maharaja of Baroda who was one of his most loyal patrons. The story of Nala and Damayanti is recounted in the Mahabharata by the Pandava brothers. They were happily married to each other, until an evil King seeking revenge entered Nala's body and altered his benevolent personality. As a result of Nala's subsequent misdeeds, they are both stripped of their possessions and sent into exile. Due to their poverty, they are forced to share their clothes as well. The painting shows the scene where Nala, who is still possessed by the evil spirit, is going to abandon a sleeping Damayanti in the forest and try and return to his kingdom. In order to do this, he must cut the cloth covering they both share. Though not part of the original legend, Ravi Varma has inserted a pair of scissors here, adapting it to suit the audience of his time. "Interestingly, the heroine in Ravi Varma's works closely corresponded to the feminine ideal described in contemporary Malayalam literature which delighted in the sensuous and the erotic. The medium of oil on canvas as well as the use of illusionistic techniques such as light and shade, and spatial perspective enabled Ravi Varma to magically emulate the real. Unlike the traditional forms of painting with their stylized idioms, the illusionistic technique offered the possibility of grasping the physical presence of the subject and making it tangible in the painting. The revealing fullness of women's bodies, the rich and varied textures of their clothes, and the gleaming gems in the jewelry imparted a sensual appeal to these figure studies." (Saryu V. Doshi, The Painter Prince, Mumbai, NGMA, 2003.)