When an Image Becomes Evidence
In 1892, in a letter written from Baroda, a
young monk wrote to his friend, “Of course, I have seen the library and the
pictures by Ravi Varma, and that is about all worth seeing here.” These words
of appreciation did not come from an ordinary monk, but from Swami Vivekananda,
who, in less than a year, would deliver his iconic address at the Parliament of
the World’s Religions in Chicago.
In 1893, Chicago attracted visitors from across
the globe for the World’s Columbian Exposition, the event that brought the city
into international prominence. Organised to commemorate the 400th anniversary
of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World in 1492, the grand
exhibition was laid out in specially designed temporary buildings and was
widely believed to have been conceived to outshine earlier landmark
expositions, such as the Great London Exhibition of 1851 and the Paris
Exposition of 1889.
As Swami Vivekananda’s speech resonated across
the Western world, spreading the ethos of Hindu spiritual thought, the Kingdom
of Travancore made a significant cultural contribution by sending ten artworks
by its most renowned artist, Raja Ravi Varma, for display at the exhibition.
The Sri Chitra Art Gallery in
Thiruvananthapuram holds two large framed certificates presented to Raja Ravi
Varma by the World’s Columbian Exposition, recognising his exhibition of ten
oil paintings described as being of “ethnological value.” An early biographer
of the artist notes that by the time Ravi Varma reached Bombay towards the end
of 1892, he had already completed five of the paintings intended for the
exhibition, with the remaining works executed in Bombay. Once all ten paintings
were completed, Ravi Varma displayed them publicly in the city before sending
them to Chicago.
Accompanying the paintings was a booklet
prepared by the artist, listing the titles and details of each work. Although
these titles have been reproduced in numerous studies on Ravi Varma, several of
the paintings have remained elusive, leaving room for speculation among art
historians and connoisseurs, each offering their own interpretations. Of the
ten paintings sent to the exhibition, two eventually entered the Sri
Chitralayam collection in 1935. However, only one—Gypsies of South India—remains
there today. The other, titled Decking the Bride, has been loaned to the
Raj Bhavan (the Governor’s residence) in Thiruvananthapuram, where it is
currently housed. Other well-known works from this group include There Comes
Papa, Bombay Singer, Expectation, and The Begum’s Bath.
Among the works that remain unsettled are four
paintings: Disappointing News, At the Well, The Veena Player,
and Sisterly Remembrance. While the debate surrounding Disappointing
News remains open, it is now possible to move towards a conclusion
regarding the other three, as compelling evidence has recently emerged in the
form of a photograph offered at auction by Bid & Hammer, a prominent
auction house. Titled Hindoo Jugglers’ Room, the image depicts four of
the ten paintings displayed in the Indian Tea Room at the World’s Columbian
Exposition. The original halftone print was published in 1894 by the Jewell N.
Halligan Company.
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Hindoo Jugglers’ Room, original halftone print was published in 1894 by the Jewell N. Halligan Company. It depicts four out of the ten paintings displayed by Raja Ravi Varma – From left to right: At the Well, Decking the Bride, Sisterly Remembrance, and The Veena Player © bidandhammer
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Left: Hindoo Jugglers’ Room, detail showing At the Well and Decking the Bride. |
With the help of this photograph, we are perhaps, for the first time, able to glimpse the most elusive painting of the group—Sisterly Remembrance. As the title suggests, the work explores the theme of camaraderie between sisters, in this instance from a Maratha family, who appear to be engaged in conversation. In the background, to the right, an idol of Lord Ganesha is visible. The photograph also lays to rest long-standing confusion surrounding two other paintings—At the Well and The Veena Player—both of which had been misidentified by several researchers.
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| Left: The
possible candidate for Disappointing News – photograph of the original
painting (private collection). See Raja Ravi Varma – An Everlasting
Imprint (Vol I) by Ganesh V. Shivaswamy for more details. Right: The Begum’s Bath News – photograph of the original painting (private collection). |
Far from being a mere visual record, the photograph functions as a
critical document that bridges archival gaps, resolves long-standing
ambiguities, and reshapes our understanding of lost or misidentified works. In
the case of Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings at the World’s Columbian Exposition,
the photograph not only corroborates textual sources but also restores visual
certainty to titles that had long existed only in lists and speculation.
Sharat Sunder R
08.01.2026.
