His paintings convey a message and are straight and firm in their execution. By using soft yet bright transparent colour, he is successful in sending the messages right across. He was trained initially in Shantiniketan under legendary artists like Ramkinkar Baiz and Benode Behari Mukherjee. Raja Ravi Verma Raja Ravi Verma (1848-1906) was born in Kilimanoor Palace, and is considered as combining traditionalist's traits and rationalist tendencies among the moderns. Raja Ravi Verma is recognised by the depiction of scenes from the epics of Ramayana and the Mahabharata. He won the first prize in the Vienna Art Exhibition in 1873, and this brought him into the limelight. Jatin Das