Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV
Venkatappa was born in a family of Chitrakara, who were the court painters of the Mysore Kingdom and artisans under the Vijaynagaran kings. From an early age he was taught into the art of painting and assisted his father in the palace of Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV. The Maharaja appreciated his talents and encouraged him to study further in the Government School of Art, Calcutta, which he attended from 1909 to 1916. There, he studied under Abanindranath Tagore with students such as Nandalal Bose, and was met with appreciation.