“The idea of a series on Indian artists had been percolating in my mind for a while and I was writing poems inspired by Raja Ravi Varma’s art. As I saw it, here was a famous 19th century Indian painter who blended European aesthetics with Indian images and connected the world more than a century ago, and yet so few children seemed to know him. When I heard from publisher Karthika a year ago about Westland’s recently launched children’s imprint, Red Panda, I knew that my work would be carefully curated and professionally produced. I’m very happy to share this beautifully illustrated biography of Raja Ravi Varma with the world,” says Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan.

Ravi Varma also established the first lithographic press in India, which created prints of his mythology-inspired paintings, in particular scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. It was a first, big step towards making art affordable for everyone.

The picture book is published with Red Panda, an imprint of Westland Publications.

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