RtistiQ And Raja Ravi Varma Foundation Team To Release NFTs Of Verma's Most Iconic Works
RtistiQ, the online marketplace with the aim of elevating the fine arts community by bringing renowned artists & art lovers together into one platform built on trust and convenience and powered by blockchain technology to ensure every artwork is authenticated and every transaction is secured, will present the Digital non-fungible token (NFT) versions of Raja Ravi Varma’s (RRV) amazing works The Coquette and Reclining Nair Lady, two of his most famous paintings. While the originals of both pieces are National Treasures of India and unable to leave the country, the NFT versions will be auctioned online from 17 February to 20 February 2022 and be available to all.
By Andrew Senior
February 11th, 2022
While the demand for NFTs has been growing at an exponential rate over the past year, this event is quite a watershed moment for the industry bringing several firsts for NFTs, especially within the Asian art collector and NFT communities. This collection of works of Raja Ravi Varma represents the first-ever to be tokenized and launched, accepting payments using both traditional credit cards and crypto.
Additionally, this offering represents the very first time an NFT auction has partnered with a traditional art gallery as well as with an Artist Foundation, gallery g and the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation. Jothi Menon, CEO and Founder of RtistiQ recently commented on the upcoming auction,
“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.”
In opposition to the exclusiveness that is often attached to the art world, Raja Ravi Varma originally shook the industry up by creating and offering up lithograph versions of his paintings for sale with the goal of making art more accessible to the masses while still satisfying the demands of collectors. The upcoming NFT auction will push that goal even further, by making art accessible to everyone globally from collectors and investors, to fans and newcomers. Rukmini Varma, Chairperson of the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation, artist and great great granddaughter of Raja Ravi Varma commented on the various works but Ravi Varma,
“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.”
The Coquette is held in a private collection and is one of the artist’s most recognizable and duplicated paintings with an artists recreation of the work previously selling at Sotheby’s for $100,000 USD. When taking into account the various detailing and the careful brushstrokes encompassed in The Coquette, it is often thought to be the predecessor of the nearly identical work, Lady with a Fruit, currently housed at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, India.
Disclaimer: The information above does not constitute investment, financial, trading or any other sort of advice and you should not treat any of the content on this site such. We do not recommend the purchase, sale, or holding of any cryptocurrency or other product. None of our content should be deemed as an offer to purchase, sell, or hold a cryptocurrency or other product or service. Please consider doing your own research and prioritize consulting a certified financial professional before making any investment decisions