About the Oleograph – Gopi Vastraharan
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Subject
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The artwork depicts the famous Vastraharan episode from the Bhagavata Purana, where Lord Krishna mischievously hides the clothes of the Gopis (cowherd women) while they are bathing in the Yamuna river.
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This moment is both playful and symbolic — Krishna tests the Gopis’ devotion, demanding they surrender their pride and ego.
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Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906)
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One of India’s greatest painters, celebrated for blending Indian themes with European realism.
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His oleographs revolutionized Indian devotional and cultural art, making mythological stories accessible to the masses.
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Ravi Varma Press, Malavli
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Founded in 1894 by Ravi Varma and his brother, it became India’s most famous lithographic press.
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Produced chromolithographs (oleographs) of gods, goddesses, epics, and cultural subjects.
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This print bears the “Ravi Varma Press, Malavli” mark at the bottom, making it an authentic and collectible edition.
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Age & Rarity
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Approx. early 20th century (1910s–1930s).
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“Gopi Vastraharan” is one of the most reproduced and sought-after Ravi Varma themes, highly prized among collectors.
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