It is believed that the eloquent description of the heroine in Indulekha, the first modern novel in Malayalam literature by O. Chandu Menon, published in 1889, had ignited the imagination of legendary artist Raja Ravi Varma. Now, the product of that spark, which Ravi Varma poured onto canvas with his masterly strokes and a delicate interplay of lights and shadows, has emerged in public domain.
Though the famous painting ‘Reclining Lady’ is believed to have been modelled on Indulekha, the new oil painting of Indulekha, owned by Sasikala Parakkal and her husband Madhusudhana Menon, Irinjalakuda, has the woman holding a letter addressing her lover Madhavan, the hero of the novel, as ‘Dear Madhavan ....’ dated 1892. The 19th century painting with an over-the-top sense of symmetry and keen attention to micro-details, which was recently restored by Madhan S. of the Heritage Conservation and Research Academy, will go under the hammer at an art gallery in Mumbai in September.
