Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings get transformed as NFTs


To be auctioned this month on RtistiQ, this is a unique opportunity since Raja Ravi Varma’s original works are considered National Treasures and cannot be exported out of India

February 15, 2022: As the NFT craze takes the world by storm, RtistiQ is transforming two Raja Ravi Varma paintings to be auctioned as NFTs. ‘The Coquette’ and ‘Reclining Nair Lady’, two of the artist’s most famous paintings, will be auctioned online as NFTs on the RtistiQ platform from February 17 to 20, 2022.

Reclining Nair Lady

Reclining Nair Lady by Raja Ravi Varma


Considered to be national treasures, this collection of works of Raja Ravi Varma will be the first-ever to be tokenised and launched, accepting payments via credit card and crypto. This is also the first time an NFT auction is being held in partnership with a traditional gallery as well as with an Artist Foundation: gallery g and the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation.

“Having already brought about a paradigm shift in the Indian art scene with his paintings, the introduction of Raja Ravi Varma’s works into the metaverse will no doubt spark a new movement within both the art collector and crypto communities. It is time that we explore the possibilities of tokenizing national treasures and fostering greater collaborations between various players in the arts scene to ensure the vitality of the industry,” says Jothi Menon, CEO and Founder of RtistiQ.

The Coquette

The Coquette by Raja Ravi Varma


The NFT auction would be made accessible to everyone globally - elite collectors, investors and the masses, thus offering an ability to lay claim to owning a piece of India’s heritage.

“To Ravi Varma, art had no boundaries - not by geography and certainly not by class. Till today, his keen ability to document daily life continues to captivate art enthusiasts and his paintings can be found in some of the most notable art collections and museums around the world,” says Rukmini Varma, Chairperson Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation, artist and great great granddaughter of Raja Ravi Varma.

Both the original artworks are collectively valued at US$ 2.5 million.

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