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C Raja Raja Varma
The Artist & Scholar
The youngest brother of
Raja Ravi Varma was a
brilliant portrait artist.
C Raja Raja Varma, the youngest brother of iconic
painter Raja Ravi Varma, was himself a reputed
artist and English scholar. As the assistant and
The artist C Raja Raja Varma.
business manager to Raja Ravi Varma, he often
painted with the former, while maintaining a
comprehensive record of their work and travels.
The presented lot is a historically-significant work,
and the meticulous detailing in the portrait reflects
C. Raja Raja Varma’s mastery in portraiture, a craft
cultivated under the tutelage of his elder brother.
The painting not only highlights the artist’s skills but
also serves as an acknowledgment of the deep
professional and familial bond between the Varma
brothers, that lasted all his life.
C. Raja Raja Varma is also known for his expansive
diary, an important account of the Varma Brothers’
lives. It traces their portraiture business, as well as
the genesis and working of the Ravi Varma Fine Arts
Lithographic Press. The diary offers a rare insight
into the artists’ method of working, as well as the
luminaries they interacted with regularly.
Through much of his life, C Raja Raja Varma worked
The Varma Brothers (Raja Ravi Varma, closely with Ravi Varma, so much so that they were
seated right, and C Raja Raja Varma, called the Ram and Lakshman of Indian art. C Raja
standing in the centre) Raja Varma passed away in 1905.
