Publisher's Synopsis
The Diary of C. Raja Raja Verma, a journal kept by Raja Ravi Verma s brother, is one of the most important and authentic source materials on the last ten years of the life of the artist Raja Ravi Verma. The chronicler of this diary was Ravi Verma s brother, his co-worker, assistant, secretary and business manager. Their symbiotic relationship is well known and they were often referred to as the Ram and Laxman of Indian art. Ravi Verma is famous both as a painter who first used European techniques and styles in the Indian context and then popularized art through the Ravi Verma Fine Arts Lithographic Press, which published good quality prints of his paintings for distribution all over India and abroad. This diary available in its full and authentic form for the first time is a huge source of information on the work of the artist and the working of his Press over a ten-year period, 1894/5 to 1905. The more than 1000 entries are accompanied by rare photographs, paintings, drawings, art magazines of the period, etc. which showcase the artist s method of working and the influences on his art. The diary will be an invaluable reference to scholars of Indian art, art lovers and critics, and will appeal to the general reader in India and abroad.
