MADALASA RUTUDHAWAJA
Lithograph on Paper
Circa
1910
Size (cms)
35.25 X 51.7
Artist
Raja Ravi Varma - Active
Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906) was a celebrated Indian painter known for blending European academic art techniques with Indian subjects, making classical Indian art accessible to the masses. Born into an aristocratic family in Kerala, Varma mastered oil painting and is renowned for his depictions of scenes from Indian epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. He often portrayed Indian gods, goddesses, and historical figures with lifelike realism, drawing inspiration from traditional Indian aesthetics and the techniques of Western realism. His works not only influenced Indian art but also popularized mythological characters across the country, partly due to his pioneering efforts in lithography, which made his paintings widely available as prints.
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Publisher
Anant Shivaji Desai
Printer
Ravi Varma Press, Karla - Lonavla.- Active
More Info
The lithograph Madalasa Rutudhwaja by Raja Ravi Varma portrays a tender moment between Madalasa and Prince Rutudhwaja. Madalasa, the beautiful daughter of Gandharva King Vishvavasu, stands gracefully near a tree, holding a flower, while Rutudhwaja stands beside her, expressing his love. An attendant stands nearby, adding to the regal atmosphere.
Madalasa was abducted by the demon chief Pathalaketu, who terrorized sages and disrupted their penance. In response, King Sathrujit of Kasi sent his son, Prince Rutudhwaja, to defeat the demons. Rutudhwaja valiantly killed Pathalaketu, rescuing Madalasa and later marrying her. She was a woman of great virtue and bore him four sons—Vikrant, Subahu, Shatrutamana, and Alarkan, the latter of whom eventually succeeded Rutudhwaja as king.
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