Born in Kilimanoor, he was educated at home and received his first lesson in picture-making from his uncle, the artist Raja Raja Varma. In 1873 he submitted two paintings to the Fine Arts Exhibition held in Madras, one of which, Nair Lady Adoring Her Hair, won the Governors Gold Medal. From then on his success was assured and in the following year he was again awarded the Governors Gold Medal. His themes were usually drawn from the Indian epics and he was the first Indian artist to apply the traditions of Western academic realism to the representations of Indian literature and mythology. At the same time, Varma was also a prolific portraitist and received commissions from various princely families as well as European residents in India.