Raja Ravi Varma - KALI oleografie/litho - 1910s

Low reserve.
Spectacular print of Kali in beautiful colors and superbly printed, so-called oleograph to mimic the oil paintings of Raja Ravi Varma. Extremely rare and hard to find, especially in this condition.
Litho with arabic gum for a glossy finish from Kali by the Ravi Varma press. Almost identical to the signed bigger litho by Raja Ravi Varma. Small changes to the lithostones in this smaller version.

Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906). He became famous for his paintings and world-famous for his lithographic prints after his paintings. He adopted German printing technology and the aid of German technicians for his printing work. He introduced affordable popular prints all over India at the highest printing technique at that time. Before Ravi Varma there were no colored representations of Hindu deities. After the Ravi Varma era most printed representations of the Hindu pantheon are derivatives of the graphics made by Ravi Varma until this day.
Decapitated head: off a demon.
The bowl with blood: to prevent blood spilling on the soil which spawns a new demon.
The necklace with heads: decapitated ego of men.
The decapitated arms: the actions of men.
The man under Kali's feet: her husband preventing the dancing Kali from destroying the world with her stamping feet.
Kali's tongue: the moment she realises she is stamping on her husband and her return from bloodlust.