Vintage Ravi Varma Chromolithograph - Shankar

This rare early 20th-century chromolithograph depicts Shiva (Shankar) seated in a regal, courtly composition with Parvati and Ganesha, presenting the divine family as a royal household rather than in their more commonly ascetic or domestic forms. Shiva is shown enthroned at the center, dressed in elaborate robes and ornaments, flanked by Parvati and their son Ganesha, emphasizing lineage, order, and divine authority.

At the base of the throne appears Nandi, Shiva’s vahana, rendered in a submissive yet watchful posture. Mount Kailash, Shiva’s mythological abode, forms the backdrop, situating the scene within its cosmological setting while reinforcing Shiva’s sovereignty over both the spiritual and terrestrial realms.

The print is produced using chromolithography, a technique that gained prominence in India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and enabled the mass circulation of richly coloured religious imagery. The surface is further enhanced with applied silk and zari embellishments, a practice used to elevate devotional prints and bridge the visual language of painting and textile ornamentation.

Housed in its original or period-appropriate wooden frame, the chromolithograph remains in notably good condition, with strong colour retention and minimal surface wear considering its age. Such works played a significant role in domestic worship and visual culture, reflecting the intersection of popular devotion, emerging print technology, and evolving iconographic preferences of the colonial-era subcontinent.