TALES FROM THE CAPITAL CITY – 161

Dharma Rajah and the Beginnings of Court Portraiture

This is perhaps one of the most challenging AI-enhanced images I have created from old paintings—yet also among the most satisfying, despite the skewed perspective and the constricted posture of the subject. Here we see the revered “Kizhavan Rajah” of Travancore, Karthika Tirunal Rama Varma (r.1758-1798), better known as Dharma Rajah. He is widely remembered in historical circles for his resolute resistance to the threat of invasion from Mysore and for his role in the Anglo-Mysore Wars.

What is less often acknowledged, however, is his generous patronage of the arts. The formal court art tradition of Travancore is generally understood to have taken shape in the early to mid-nineteenth century, particularly during the reigns of Swathi Tirunal Rama Varma and Uthram Tirunal Martanda Varma. Yet it would be an oversight to ignore the political circumstances of the late eighteenth century, which brought artists from the Deccan into frequent contact with the Travancore court.

This cross-cultural exchange resulted in a small but highly intriguing group of paintings—portraits of Karthika Tirunal—that offer valuable insight into the early roots of royal portraiture in Travancore. The present image is a photorealistic AI rendering based on one such eighteenth-century portrait of the Rajah, depicting him in the attire of a devotee.

It may well represent one of the earliest examples of the royal portrait genre in Travancore, often referred to as “temple-attire portraits.”

For further insights into the early history of court portraiture in Travancore, do look out for my forthcoming book, The Forgotten Atelier.

TALES FROM THE CAPITAL CITY – 158

 A Statesman in the Crowd: The Young Madhava Rao in the Travancore Durbar

Sir T. Madhava Rao

This rare mid-nineteenth-century depiction of the Travancore Rajah’s royal court is remarkable for recording the portraits of many distinguished courtiers—both natives of Travancore and the Paradesis who, from the early decades of the nineteenth century, had rooted their lives in its soil. Among the most prominent non-natives in royal service were the Maratha Brahmins, who, aided by their knowledge of the English language, found favour with the British administrators. In Travancore, the coveted post of Dewan (Prime Minister) was held by Maratha Brahmins for more than half a century beginning in 1817.

This detail becomes all the more compelling when we realize that the painting includes the most renowned of these Dewans. Though barely discernible within the crowd, our eyes are instinctively drawn to the handsome face of a young man. In the composition he does not command immediate attention; pressed among senior officials, he stands not far from the Rajah’s throne—the focal point of the scene. At this moment, he serves merely as the Tutor to the young princes, the nephews of Rajah Uthram Tirunal Martanda Varma.

The Durbar of Rajah Uthram Tirunal Martanda Varma, oil on canvas (detail). 

Yet this young man—Tanjore Madhava Rao—scion of a distinguished lineage with a history of service in Travancore, stands on the threshold of an extraordinary career. He is poised to ascend the administrative ladder and to distinguish himself as one of the greatest ministers in Travancore’s history—a statesman whose destiny would eventually carry him far beyond its borders.

But the question remains: is this the earliest painted portrait of him? Though his likeness appears only as a miniature within this vast oil painting of more than sixty faces, he stands out—the brilliance in his eyes unmistakable.

Learn more about this painting and the artist behind it in my forthcoming book, 'The Forgotten Atelier.'

12.02.2026

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