Mysore, Dec. 23 :
The scholar of Mysore Traditional Painting M. Ramanarasaiah (91), who retired as a Palace artist, passed away at Vidyaranya Hospital in Chamundipuram here in the wee hours of today after a prolonged illness.
He leaves behind his wife Jayamma, two sons and six daughters. Among his children, Subba Narasimha, Chandrika Padmanabha and State awardee Sudha Venkatesh too have followed the footsteps of their father in Mysore Traditional Painting.
One of Ramanarasaiah’s daughters-in-law Suma Krishna is also an artist of Mysore Traditional Painting. A large number of artists, well-wishers and relatives paid their last respects to the departed soul at his residence in Vijayanagar 2nd Stage today. Last rites were performed at the foot of Chamundi Hill this noon.
A profile
Born in 1922, Ramanarasaiah is the son of Venkatanarasaiah, chamberlain and middle echelon revenue and administrative officer in the erstwhile princely State of Mysore. His mother was a housewife and named him after her father who had been a rich landowner.
Ramanarasaiah completed his SSLC in the then famous English medium high school in Mysore run by a Methodist Mission. At the time his favourite subject was science. Venkatanarasaiah wanted his son to become a doctor or a scientist. But the environment of his upbringing had cast on him a strong spell. While at school, he had kept up his study of painting. So with the conviction that no other pursuit would suit him, he decided to continue his education in a school of painting.
The Chamarajendra Technical Institute in Mysore was also famous as an art institute and was established in 1869 as a part of the Dept. of Handicrafts and Technology. In 1932, owing to the then Prince of Mysore and other distinguished persons of the day, a fine arts school was started as part of this Institute. Liked by his teachers and adored by his friends, Ramanarasaiah was shaped into a fine artist and by deeply ingraining in himself all about the world of art, a highly proficient Ramanarasaiah graduated with a first class in 1947. He then created a 5ft. high oil painting of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar.
During the days of royal patronage, he completed numerous oil paintings. The Maharaja presented these works to different royal families and notable persons. His paintings of kings and renowned persons are exhibited not only in Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery (28 paintings) but also in Mysore’s elite families and Mutts.
Among his finest creations is the 7’x12′ likeness in oil of the Maharaja’s last Durbar on display at Jaganmohan Art School. It gained a high status as an example of historical art.
He was appointed at the Jayachamarajendra School of Painting and worked hard for the school’s overall development from 1961 to 1978.
Ramanarasaiah’s works have been exhibited in Tirupati, many cities in India and abroad. He has been honoured with many titles like ‘Varna Chitra Kala Chatura’ by Vyasaraja Mutt. He was feted during the 1981 and 1993 Dasara; in 1993 Karnataka Lalithakala Academy honoured him.
He is the recipient of M.T.V. Acharya award for his contribution to art.
He mastered the Mysore & Tanjore traditional styles and trained about a thousand students, in the process becoming a scholar-artist, who dedicated himself for the phenomenal growth of Mysore traditional style.
source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / Home> General News / December 23rd, 2012