Few artists have shaped the visual imagination of India as profoundly as Raja Ravi Varma. Today his original paintings are preserved in museums and royal collections, yet his most far-reaching legacy lies in the printed images that carried his work into homes across India.

Through lithographs and oleographs produced at the pioneering Ravi Varma Press, images of gods, epic heroes and mythological scenes became accessible to people far beyond princely courts and elite collectors.

These prints did more than reproduce paintings. They reshaped how Indians visualised their deities and mythological narratives.

Even today, many of the most familiar images of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Vishnu or Krishna seen in devotional prints across India can trace their origins to Ravi Varma’s compositions.

For collectors of vintage Indian prints, understanding the story of these works offers a fascinating window into the moment when art, technology and devotion intersected in colonial India.

When Art Met Printing Technology

In the late nineteenth century, paintings were rare and precious objects. A single canvas could belong only to one patron. Temples, aristocrats and royal courts commissioned art, but ordinary people rarely had access to such imagery.

Printing technology changed that.

Across Europe during the nineteenth century, advances in colour printing allowed paintings to be reproduced with extraordinary fidelity. One of the most sophisticated techniques to emerge during this period was lithography. It was this technology that Raja Ravi Varma would adopt in order to democratise art in India.

Understanding Lithographs

Lithography was invented in Germany in 1796 and soon became one of the most advanced printing techniques of the nineteenth century. The process works on the principle that grease and water repel each other. An artist draws an image onto a polished limestone surface using greasy ink or crayon. The stone is then treated chemically so that printing ink adheres only to the drawn areas.

When paper is pressed against the stone, the image transfers onto the sheet.

Colour lithographs required multiple stones, each representing a different colour layer. These layers were printed sequentially, sometimes requiring twenty or more stones to complete a single image. When executed with precision, the resulting print could closely resemble a painted artwork.

What Is an Oleograph

Oleographs were a specialised form of chromolithography designed specifically to imitate oil paintings. The word derives from the Latin oleum, meaning oil. Through multiple colour layers and subtle tonal gradations, printers attempted to reproduce the depth, shading and painterly qualities of oil painting. 

Many devotional prints associated with Ravi Varma were produced using this technique.

The Artistic Vision of Raja Ravi Varma

Born in 1848 in Kilimanoor in present-day Kerala, Raja Ravi Varma emerged as one of the most influential artists of nineteenth-century India. His work was distinctive because it combined European academic realism with Indian mythological subjects. Drawing inspiration from Western oil painting, he depicted figures from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and classical Sanskrit literature with unprecedented realism.

His paintings quickly gained popularity among princely patrons across India. Yet Ravi Varma realised that the emotional power of his imagery resonated far beyond aristocratic audiences. Whenever his paintings were displayed publicly, large crowds gathered to view them. This response inspired him to pursue a radical idea: reproducing his paintings through modern printing so they could reach a much wider audience.

The Birth of the Ravi Varma Press

In 1894 Ravi Varma established the Ravi Varma Fine Arts Lithographic Press in Bombay. The venture required importing advanced lithographic machinery from Europe along with skilled technicians experienced in chromolithography. The aim was revolutionary for its time: reproduce Ravi Varma’s paintings as affordable prints that ordinary people could buy.

Shortly after its establishment, the press was relocated to Malavli, where larger facilities allowed for expanded production. From this quiet town in the Western Ghats, thousands of prints began travelling across India. They appeared in homes, temples, shops and small shrines, becoming sacred objects in everyday life.

The Schleicher Period

Maintaining the press proved financially challenging, and around 1901 the press passed into the hands of Fritz Schleicher, a German technician who had previously worked there. Under Schleicher’s management the press continued producing mythological prints based on Ravi Varma’s paintings. Many surviving prints encountered by collectors today originate from this period.

The Ghatkopar Printing Networks

As demand for devotional imagery grew during the early twentieth century, printing and publishing networks expanded beyond the original Malavli press. One later centre involved in distributing Ravi Varma imagery developed in Ghatkopar, an industrial suburb of Bombay. Publishers operating from this area circulated mythological prints through expanding commercial networks. Many prints from this later phase carry publisher imprints rather than the original Ravi Varma Press mark. One commonly encountered name is M. A. Joshi, whose imprint appears on several devotional prints circulated during the early twentieth century.

The End of the Ravi Varma Press

The Malavli press continued operating for several decades. However, newer printing centres emerged in cities such as Calcutta and Sivakasi, where devotional prints were produced on an increasingly industrial scale.

In 1972 a devastating fire destroyed the Malavli press building along with many original lithographic stones. With that loss, one of the most important printing establishments in Indian art history came to an end.

The Most Famous Ravi Varma Oleographs

Some compositions reproduced by the Ravi Varma Press became immensely influential in shaping devotional imagery.

Among the most widely circulated prints were- Lakshmi standing on a Lotus, Saraswati with the Veena, Damayanti and the Swan, Vishnu on Garuda, Yashoda with Krishna

These images became visual archetypes repeated across countless later devotional prints.

How Collectors Identify Authentic Ravi Varma Prints

Collectors studying vintage prints usually examine several factors.

Printer’s Imprint

Early prints often contain wording such as:

- Ravi Varma Fine Arts Lithographic Press
- Ravi Varma Press Malavli

Publisher Marks

Names such as M. A. Joshi typically indicate distributors rather than the printing press itself.

Paper

Early lithographs were printed on thick imported lithographic paper.

Colour and Printing Quality

Original chromolithographs display complex colour layering and subtle tonal gradations.

Signs of Age

Natural paper toning and gentle wear can sometimes indicate earlier prints.

How to Spot Later Reproductions

Because Ravi Varma imagery became widely popular, it has been reproduced many times.

Later devotional prints often show:

- flatter colour printing
- thin industrial paper
- missing press imprints
- altered compositions

Understanding these differences helps collectors place prints within the broader history of Indian printmaking.

Why These Prints Matter

The story of Ravi Varma’s oleographs is not simply about reproducing paintings. It represents the moment when modern printing technology allowed art to move beyond elite spaces and enter the daily lives of people across India.

Through the work of Raja Ravi Varma and the presses that reproduced his paintings, mythological imagery became part of the visual language of modern India. For collectors and historians, these prints remain remarkable objects that document the intersection of art, technology and devotion.

At The Blue Trunk, studying such objects means tracing the journeys of images, printers and collectors who helped carry them across generations.

Timeline of Ravi Varma Lithographs and the Evolution of the Press (1894–1972)

For collectors studying vintage prints based on the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, understanding the chronology of the Ravi Varma Press provides valuable context.

The wording of imprints, printing quality and distribution networks often reflect different stages in the life of the press.

Below is a simplified historical timeline that helps place Ravi Varma prints within their broader production history.

1848

Birth of Raja Ravi Varma in Kilimanoor, Kerala.

1870s–1880s

Ravi Varma gains recognition across princely courts in India for his oil paintings depicting mythological subjects and portraits.

During this period he paints many of the works that would later become famous lithographs.

1894

Establishment of the Ravi Varma Fine Arts Lithographic Press in Bombay.

Advanced lithographic machines and skilled technicians are brought from Europe to begin producing colour prints based on Ravi Varma’s paintings.

Late 1890s

The press relocates to Malavli in the Western Ghats.

This becomes the main production centre for Ravi Varma lithographs and oleographs.

Many of the most famous devotional prints are produced during this phase.

Around 1901

Ownership of the press passes to Fritz Schleicher, who had previously worked as a technician at the press.

Printing continues under his management.

Early 20th Century

Distribution networks expand across India. Publishers and distributors help circulate Ravi Varma prints widely.

Names such as M. A. Joshi begin appearing on prints as publisher or distributor marks.

Early–Mid 20th Century

Printing and publishing activity related to devotional prints spreads across Bombay and nearby industrial areas such as Ghatkopar.

Other centres of print production begin emerging across India.

1920s–1940s

Cities such as Calcutta and later Sivakasi develop strong printing industries producing devotional images inspired by Ravi Varma compositions.

These prints are often produced using newer printing technologies.

1972

A devastating fire destroys the original press building at Malavli along with many of the lithographic stones used to print Ravi Varma images.

This event effectively marks the end of the historic Ravi Varma Press.

Collector FAQ: Ravi Varma Lithographs and Oleographs

Are all Ravi Varma prints original?

No. Many prints circulating today are later reproductions created decades after the original press operated. Sadly we also have a lot fakes now which are circulating given the rise in art value of these prints.

What is the most important feature to check?

The imprint printed along the lower margin of the image.

Are prints with publisher names like M. A. Joshi authentic?

They can be genuine early devotional prints but may represent later distribution editions rather than the earliest Ravi Varma Press prints.

Are Ravi Varma prints valuable?

Yes, chromolithographs from the Ravi Varma Presses can be highly sought after by collectors, particularly when the imprint is clearly visible and the condition is good.

Why are Ravi Varma prints historically important?

They represent the first moment when fine art in India was reproduced on a large scale and distributed widely to the public.