Ravi Varma's Draupadi

[Rakhi]

I was always intrigued by Draupadi (from Mahabharat). Last night I was looking at a few paintings by Ravi Varma and suddenly realized that the below picture isnt any where closer to what Draupadi must have looked like.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ra...milk_honey.jpg

In this picture she is looking like some me...lost, sad and tired. That's not what Draupadi's personality comes across as. She is active, lively and...slim.

What do you all think?
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[dollyg]

she looks like a maharashtrian rather than a rajput in the painting. sad , she might have been but her fiestyness is totally not visible here . seems out of character for draupadi.

[chitrala]

Originally Posted by Rakhi

I was always intrigued by Draupadi (from Mahabharat). Last night I was looking at a few paintings by Ravi Varma and suddenly realized that the below picture isnt any where closer to what Draupadi must have looked like.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ra...milk_honey.jpg

In this picture she is looking like some me...lost, sad and tired. That's not what Draupadi's personality comes across as. She is active, lively and...slim.

What do you all think?

It seems, Ravi Verma used the same model for all his mythological works... his muse was this fair, plump, roundish sort of woman who is there as Shakuntala, subhadra, Daraupadi etc.
Draupadi was rather dark in complexion, thats why one of her names was shyama.

[JaiSpeaks]

Originally Posted by dollyg

she looks like a maharashtrian rather than a rajput in the painting. sad , she might have been but her fiestyness is totally not visible here . seems out of character for draupadi.

Five husbands ka khayal rakhna hai , upar se paanchon ke ek ek putra . Tired nahi hogi to kya hogi.

[Rakhi]

Originally Posted by dollyg

she looks like a maharashtrian rather than a rajput in the painting. sad , she might have been but her fiestyness is totally not visible here . seems out of character for draupadi.

Yeah, she is a bold woman; or that is my understanding of her. And she really does question the court during the stripping where everyone seemed to have messed up.

Originally Posted by chitrala

It seems, Ravi Verma used the same model for all his mythological works... his muse was this fair, plump, roundish sort of woman who is there as Shakuntala, subhadra, Daraupadi etc.
Draupadi was rather dark in complexion, thats why one of her names was shyama.

Yeah, apparently she is also nick named as Krsna by Lord Krishna.

I think Draupadi was tall, slim and athlete and always had a thing for Arjuna even before she met him.

[Budmaas]

Lovely figure in saari...

[Premi]

Originally Posted by chitrala

Draupadi was rather dark in complexion, thats why one of her names was shyama.

izzat saved by Shyam as he would do rakha of his sister. ... Shyama

noh??

[Indian]

Originally Posted by chitrala

It seems, Ravi Verma used the same model for all his mythological works... his muse was this fair, plump, roundish sort of woman who is there as Shakuntala, subhadra, Daraupadi etc.
Draupadi was rather dark in complexion, thats why one of her names was shyama.

must be a mallu model...look at her long dark and thick hair...typical of all mallus.
ravi verma is also a mallu right ?
what is the secret of malayali's long dark thick hair ?

[Shringarey]

Here are my thoughts -

1. The tall, fair, slim and slender woman is a part of the western myth. The Indian idea of beauty was buxom and slightly corpulescent.

2. This is a classic Ravi Verma. There are clues here that you should look for. First, she is carrying milk and honey. At that time, milk and honey was a symbol for conjugal bliss. I had used that sumbolism in one of my posts, and someone (I think smelli) objected. But it is valid symbolism

3. Her saree is red in color. (The photo shown does not show the proper color). Red color is the color of the "laaaleee"

4. There is very little jewellery (not befitting an Empress). There is no Sindoor (as befitting a married woman). The bangles are simple, clothes are simple. She looks tired. She DOES NOT WANT to do the task. She is the Sairandhari avataar of Draupadi incognito.

5. The wooden panel and marble background is not ornate. The castle/palace is NOT owned by Pandavas or Kauravas. Its a lower king's palace.

.... several more. Read about cuses in Renaissance art. anslo Renaissance art Perspective studies from google

[kkkk]

its probably not about art, its about situation.
Pandavas were in Matsya as a part of their Adnyatvas. This is where Draupadi spent a year as queen sudeshna's hair dresser. queen Sudeshna's brother Keechak pined for draupadi (who lived with the name sairandhri at this time). His overtures were a harrasment for draupadi and this picture depicts that phase in Sairandhri/Draupadi's life.
As Shring says, lots of pointer in the picture indicating this. The picture is probably of the time when Draupadi is going to get Keechak to come into a room where Bheem (living as ballav) will tackle him.

[PeaceSeeker]

Originally Posted by Rakhi

I was always intrigued by Draupadi (from Mahabharat). Last night I was looking at a few paintings by Ravi Varma and suddenly realized that the below picture isnt any where closer to what Draupadi must have looked like.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ra...milk_honey.jpg

In this picture she is looking like some me...lost, sad and tired. That's not what Draupadi's personality comes across as. She is active, lively and...slim.

What do you all think?

beautiful picture.

you cannot judge a person from a single pic or have something of her perceived personality in every single pic.

[Rakhi]

Originally Posted by Shringarey

Here are my thoughts -

1. The tall, fair, slim and slender woman is a part of the western myth. The Indian idea of beauty was buxom and slightly corpulescent.
You could be right; from what I read of Draupadi and Dhri's (her brother) childhood, she was quite a remarkable woman. She always held her head high and thought highly of herself. In this picture or the pose she doesn't quite come across as the Draupadi herself.
2. This is a classic Ravi Verma. There are clues here that you should look for. First, she is carrying milk and honey. At that time, milk and honey was a symbol for conjugal bliss. I had used that sumbolism in one of my posts, and someone (I think smelli) objected. But it is valid symbolism
I love Ravi Varma's paintings too. In fact I have a replica of one of the paintings. I wonder why she let her hair down.This pretty much looks like she is dejected beyond words. Agree with milk and honey part.
3. Her saree is red in color. (The photo shown does not show the proper color). Red color is the color of the "laaaleee"
OK, so?
4. There is very little jewellery (not befitting an Empress). There is no Sindoor (as befitting a married woman). The bangles are simple, clothes are simple. She looks tired. She DOES NOT WANT to do the task. She is the Sairandhari avataar of Draupadi incognito.
True that she looks tired and does not want to do the task. But from what I understand She was always taught to hold the duty first, then only anything.
5. The wooden panel and marble background is not ornate. The castle/palace is NOT owned by Pandavas or Kauravas. Its a lower king's palace.

.... several more. Read about cuses in Renaissance art. anslo Renaissance art Perspective studies from google

OK, I am not denying that perhaps its the Sairandari phase of Draupadi. nevertheless, it just doesn't look like her to me (not that I have seen her).

Originally Posted by kkkk

its probably not about art, its about situation.

If this is the case, then I am for situation fully.

Originally Posted by PeaceSeeker

beautiful picture.

you cannot judge a person from a single pic or have something of her perceived personality in every single pic.

No one is denying that it is a beautiful picture.

[raniraja]

Originally Posted by PeaceSeeker

you cannot judge a person from a single pic or have something of her perceived personality in every single pic.

There are always exceptions, like Mona Lisa.

[smellyfinger]

Originally Posted by raniraja

There are always exceptions, like Mona Lisa.

Like in my signature??

Yes, all personalities displayed

[Shringarey]

Artists all round the world have been known to put secret clues in their painting(s) - even Smelli's Mona Lisa has one - the sfumatu effect of the bridge at the back. Raja RV was no exception.

If you see Draupadi's shadow, you will see that it is either 9 in morn or 4 in evening. Which one is it? The milk and honey conveys night time. The wet hair (look at end strands) conveys morn time. There is a double entendre here too in Sairandhari's look. Is she tired or is she washing her hair? Iit is neither - she is praying to Lord Krishna)

If you take that she is tired, then probably it is evening. Then why has she had a bath in the evening and carrying milk and honey?

If you take she is wiping her hair, it is morning - then why is she carrying milk and honey?

These are parts of a puzzle. The answer is there (given by the artist himself)Can anyone find out? Hint - look at the kamarpatta (golden belt) and the pillrs behind her. What are they?

Another puzzle - The two pillars are NOT identical. The contours of pillar on YOUR right are bigger than left. The perspective seems to be wrong - yet it isn't. Also see the sari - it is a simple saree - yet has a golden (richly too) border. RRV was a sly artist. He is giving hints here.