Sarasvati with her sitar and peacock

Description

Originally published by the Ravi Udaya F. A. L. Press in Ghatkopar, Bombay, and distributed by A. K. Joshi and Co. of Kalbadevi Road, Bombay. This particular print is part of the extensive collection held by the Wellcome Collection in London.

Historical context

Raja Ravi Varma stands as a monumental figure in the history of Indian art, bridging the gap between traditional iconography and Western realism. In this sublime depiction of Sarasvati, the goddess of knowledge, music, and the arts, Varma humanizes the divine through a masterful use of light and gentle form. She sits in quiet grace upon a rocky outcrop, her presence harmonizing with the natural world. Beside her, the peacock, a symbol of beauty and integrity, bows in reverence to the music flowing from her veena. This chromolithograph was one of the many produced by his press, an innovation that allowed sacred images to enter the homes of ordinary families across India, forever changing the way the nation visualized its deities.