03.10.2026 | SATURDAY | 5:30 PM TO 7:00 PM

 

Gods in the Bazaar: Raja Ravi Varma and the Commercialization of Sacred Art

by Anil Relia

Raja Ravi Varma revolutionized Indian visual culture by bridging classical tradition and modern mass media. His iconic oil paintings brought sacred mythologies to life with unprecedented realism, humanizing deities like Lakshmi and Saraswati for a broad audience.

By founding the Ravi Varma Fine Arts Lithographic Press in 1894, he made his artwork accessible to millions. Prints, oleographs, and household calendar art brought divine imagery out of royal collections and exclusive temples directly into common homes. This widespread popularity caught the attention of early advertisers and consumer brands. Images of Lakshmi, Saraswati, and epic heroines soon graced soap wrappers, textile labels, matchboxes, and food packaging, establishing an enduring visual language that forever fused art, commerce, and devotion in Indian society.

 

 

Language: Gujarati and English

Lecture Hall, Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum

 

 

For more information

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About the Speaker

Anil Relia is an art collector, and the founder of Ahmedabad’s Archer Art Gallery. A 1978 Fine Arts graduate from M.S. University of Baroda, he pioneered large-scale serigraphy in India, famously collaborating with M. F. Husain on landmark limited-edition serigraphs and the record-setting Mother Teresa serigraph.

Over a 35-year career, Relia built an extensive collection of Indian portraiture, vintage lithographs, and miniatures, curating over 15 historical exhibitions titled The Indian Portrait. A trustee and former chairman at institutions like the Kala Ravi Trust and Husain Museum, he dedicated his life to democratizing art through lectures, publishing art biographies, and receiving multiple National Awards for printing excellence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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