TALES FROM THE CAPITAL CITY – 157

 When an Artist Turns Photographer

A relaxed moment at C.N. Pillai's wife’s home, where relatives gather at the poomukham to pose for Pillai.

This 1930s photograph from Kottayam, Travancore, shows a Nair matrilineal family. At first glance, it resembles an ethnographic image of the period—but what makes it exceptional is that we know both the photographer and the people portrayed. The photograph was taken by C. Nilakanta Pillai, a noted court painter of Travancore and a disciple of K.R. Ravi Varma, nephew of Raja Ravi Varma. Though celebrated as a portraitist, Pillai’s most important contribution lies in the series of historical paintings he executed in the 1930s for the Padmanabhapuram Palace Museum.

Commissioned by the Travancore royal family, the ten-painting series narrates key episodes from the state’s history, with a special focus on the life and reign of Anizham Tirunal Martanda Varma. To prepare for this project, Pillai travelled extensively across Travancore with his camera, photographing sites and monuments linked to the Maharaja. These images—carefully preserved in albums—later served as visual references for his paintings.

Artist C.N. Pillai beside De Lannoy’s tomb at Udayagiri. Private collection.

C. Nilkanta Pillai, Captain De Lannoy of the Dutch Army Surrenders to Maharaja Martanda Varma, oil on canvas. Padmanabhapuram Palace Museum.

If you visit the Padmanabhapuram Palace Museum, don’t miss Pillai’s remarkable historical paintings—and look out for more information on the artist in my forthcoming book, The Forgotten Atelier.

05.02.2026