Raja Ravi Varma

The six-volume series, Raja Ravi Varma: An Everlasting Imprint, explores the democratization of art in India through the country's foremost modern artist, Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) and the Ravi Varma Press. Ravi Varma is the central point in this narrative. This series also studies the factors which shaped the image-his relatives, tutors, mentors, models, societal and cultural influences. The functioning of the Ravi Varma Press is another focus of attention. The expansive influence on those who took forward the baton, borrowing and keeping alive the artist's style and icons in the world of cinema, theatre, fashion, design, popular art, law and policy are all documented. The fourth volume examines the images by Raja Ravi Varma, the Ravi Varma Press and others which are associated with the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The first chapter looks at images from the Ramayana with a primary focus on Valmiki's rendition and the second chapter deals with images from the Mahabharata. This is the largest of the six-volume book series with 386 pages.

The author, Ganesh V. Shivaswamy is a lawyer from Bengaluru. In addition to his profession, he has taken up the task of structuring the artistic legacy of Raja Ravi Varma. He is also a collector of the chromolithographs from the Ravi Varma Press. He founded the Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation which explores aspects of Indian art and culture.