32 Facts About Ravishankar Raval

Ravishankar Raval was a painter, art teacher, art critic, journalist and essayist from Gujarat, India.

Ravishankar Raval worked for the magazine Vismi Sadi until it closed in 1921, and then founded the cultural magazine Kumar.

Ravishankar Raval was born in a brahmin family on 1 August 1892 in Bhavnagar.

Ravishankar Raval's father Mahashanakar Raval was an officer in the British Communication Service.

Ravishankar Raval spent his childhood in several towns as his father was transferred from one place to another.

Ravishankar Raval wrote that he inherited his artistic instincts from his mother.

Ravishankar Raval advised him to join arts by his Parsi professor Sanjana who was pleased with his artistic skills.

Ravishankar Raval was trained under Cecil Burns, the principal of JJ School.

In 1915, Ravishankar Raval met a prominent journalist Hajji Mohammad Alarakhiya, who was looking for a young artist-illustrator for his new cultural magazine Visami Sadi, and joined him.

Ravishankar Raval moved to Ahmedabad and started an art school in 1919.

Ravishankar Raval worked for Visami Sadi until its closing with the accidental death of Haji Mohammad in 1921.

Ravishankar Raval had drawn the famous painting of the trial of Mahatma Gandhi's trial on charge of sedition on 18 March 1922 in the Circuit House of Ahmedabad where no cameras were allowed.

Ravishankar Raval had participated in annual conference of Indian National Congress in Haripura in 1938 where he painted paintings.

Ravishankar Raval was appointed as the President of Art Society of India and the President of Bombay Art Society in 1941.

Ravishankar Raval participated in All India Art Conference at Calcutta in 1951.

Ravishankar Raval went on art tour to Soviet Russia in 1952.

Ravishankar Raval illustrated Bawlana Parakramo, a Gujarati adaptation of the Pinocchio story by Hansa Mehta.

Ravishankar Raval drew many paintings of historical figures such as Narsinh Mehta, Mirabai, Hemchandracharya, Chandra Kaumudi, Akho which became cultural image of the characters.

Ravishankar Raval is well known for painting the characters of Kanaiyalal Munshi's novels.

Ravishankar Raval had designed quasi-realistic sets of Narsinh Mehta, the first Gujarati talkie film.

Ravishankar Raval died on 9 December 1977 at his home "Chitrakoot" in Ahmedabad after brief illness.

Ravishankar Raval evolved his own rich style, inspired by the Indian classical painting traditions.

Ravishankar Raval was influenced by Raja Ravi Verma's religious oleographs.

Ravishankar Raval was influenced by Tagore's informal open studios which influenced his Gujarat Chitra Kala Sangh.

Ravishankar Raval was given the title of Kalaguru, the master of art, by Gujarati author Kakasaheb Kalelkar for his contribution in art in Gujarat.

Ravishankar Raval received Mayo Gold Medal at Sir JJ School of Art in 1916.

Ravishankar Raval was awarded Gold medal from the Bombay Art Society in 1917.

Ravishankar Raval won second prize in art-in-industry Expo at Calcutta in 1923.

Ravishankar Raval received Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak, the highest literary award in Gujarati literature for his art essays.

Ravishankar Raval received Nehru Award for his book on Russia in 1965.

Ravishankar Raval was accepted as the Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi in 1970.

Ravishankar Raval permanently emigrated to the US in the 1960s and dedicated his later life to translating his father's biography from Gujarati to English.