Beyond Ravi Varma: A New Book Recovers Kerala's Lost Artists
For decades, the name Raja Ravi Varma has dominated discussions of Kerala's artistic heritage. But a new book, 'The Forgotten Atelier' by Sharat Sunder Rajeev, argues that the region's art history is far richer and more diverse, featuring mural traditions, Deccani miniatures, and a host of overlooked painters who worked in the shadows of the celebrated master.
Rajeev, who teaches at the Department of Architecture & Planning at the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, has previously written on the ivory carving tradition of Travancore. His latest work, published by White Falcon Publishing, draws on family archives, oral histories, temple records, and scattered archival references to bring these marginalised artists into focus.
One of the book's most striking revelations concerns the women artists in Ravi Varma's own family. While Ravi Varma is rightly celebrated, the artistic tradition in his family at Kilimanoor actually began with his grandmother's generation. Sisters Rohininaal Tampuratti and Makamnaal Kunjikavu Tampuratti are believed to have learnt painting from two fugitive princes from British Malabar. Ravi Varma's mother and his sister, Mangala Bayi, were also artists. Although strict social conventions limited their exposure, Mangala Bayi emerged as a fine artist. This female artistic lineage continues today in Rukmini Varma, Ravi Varma's great-great-granddaughter in Bengaluru.
The book also resurrects the story of Ramaswamy Naidu, a contemporary of Ravi Varma from a more modest background. Naidu belonged to Madurai's Naidu community, which had a long association with artistic practice. During the colonial period, many such artists were part of a heterogeneous group called Moochy painters. Naidu was among the first Indians to master Western academic oil painting. Arriving in Travancore in the 1860s, he served a junior prince and soon became one of the court's leading artists. A rivalry even developed between Naidu and the young Ravi Varma. Although Naidu won prizes and had influential patrons, his relatively early death and the lack of written records meant that his legacy faded. Many of his works remain unsigned, allowing history to centre on towering figures like Ravi Varma.
Rajeev also traces how artistic influences travelled across regions. The book argues that artistic traditions have never been confined by boundaries. Artists, styles, and ideas moved constantly, shaped by patronage, pilgrimage, trade, politics, and even warfare. The arrival of the Deccani style in Kerala is linked to the kingdom's political history. During the Anglo-Mysore Wars, Travancore allied with the Maratha Confederacy, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and the British against Tipu Sultan. These relationships opened new channels of cultural exchange. Later, in the 19th century, British-backed English-educated Marathi Brahmins were appointed as dewans (ministers) in Travancore, further influencing the region's artistic landscape.
By recovering these stories, 'The Forgotten Atelier' challenges the single-narrative view of Indian art history. It reminds readers that the canvas of Kerala's art is vast and filled with many hands — many of them unrecognised. Rajeev's research highlights the generosity of descendants who shared photographs, paintings, and documents that had not entered mainstream scholarship. Their contributions make it possible to restore the place of marginalised artists in history.
