Prince with a Paintbrush: The Story of Raja Ravi Varma - Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan

Introduce young minds to the spectacular life, vivid imagination, and lasting legacy of the visionary artist who completely transformed how we visualize Indian mythology.

While other children were busy playing hopscotch and street games, seven-year-old Ravi Varma was busy covering the walls of his ancestral home with vibrant charcoal drawings. Recognizing his nephew's extraordinary, raw artistic talent, his uncle Rajaraja Varma took him directly to the royal court of the Maharaja of Travancore to formally study and practice art. The rest, as they say, is history.

Revered globally as the father of modern Indian art, Raja Ravi Varma captivated the world by seamlessly adapting traditional European techniques—such as oil painting, perspective, and realism—to create a uniquely local, Indian cultural expression. It is his profound creative vision that gave Hindu gods and goddesses their most iconic, universally recognized imagery, which continues to grace calendar art, framed prints, and posters in millions of households today.

Furthermore, Raja Ravi Varma was a true democratizer of culture; he established India's very first lithographic printing press to create affordable prints of his mythology-inspired masterpieces, making fine art accessible to common citizens rather than just wealthy elites.

Written by acclaimed children's author Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan and brought to life by Rayika Sen’s magnificent, colorful illustrations, Prince with a Paintbrush is the perfect educational biography. It teaches young readers how a boy born into Travancore royalty earned his ultimate title of "Raja" not by crown inheritance, but through his breathtaking creativity on canvas.

Why This Illustrated Biography is a Classroom & Home Essential:

• The Perfect STEM/STEAM Book: Blends history, culture, and art appreciation into an engaging narrative that inspires children to explore their own creative talents.

• Demystifies Indian Art History: Introduces young readers to the concepts of realism, lithography, and cultural adaptation in an approachable, story-driven format.

• Stunning Visual Appeal: Features gorgeous, high-contrast illustrations that mirror the elegance of Ravi Varma’s original works, making it a stellar picture book for early readers.