Lakshmi Standing on a Lotus, Oleograph

Chromolithographic oleograph depicting Goddess Lakshmi standing upon a lotus, holding lotus flowers in her raised hands, set within a lush riverside landscape populated by attendant flora and fauna. The figure is rendered with idealised naturalism, balanced proportions, and serene expression, characteristic of the visual idiom popularised by Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906) and disseminated through the productions of the Ravi Varma Press. Select details, including elements of the jewellery, crown, and lotus, are enhanced with hand-applied decorative embellishments, adding subtle texture and luminosity to the printed surface. The composition exemplifies the press’s synthesis of European academic realism with Indian mythological subject matter, a style that profoundly shaped devotional imagery in late 19th- and early 20th-century India. The lower margin bears the printed credit to Ravi Varma Press, Malavli–Lonavala, along with title inscriptions in regional scripts.
Presented in a carved wooden frame, likely of the period. Condition: General surface wear, mild discoloration and toning of the margins, and minor abrasions consistent with age and devotional display. The applied embellishments appear largely intact. Colours remain largely vibrant. Condition is commensurate with period and use.