Late Raja Ravi Varma was an eminent Indian figure in which of the following fields of art and culture?

Introduction / Context:
Indian cultural history includes many great personalities in painting, music, dance, literature, and politics. Raja Ravi Varma is a name that frequently appears in questions related to fine arts. Recognising his field is important for basic cultural literacy and for answering examination questions correctly.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The person in question is Raja Ravi Varma.
• The question asks about the field in which he was an eminent figure.
• The options are Dance, Politics, History, and Painting.

Concept / Approach:
Raja Ravi Varma was a renowned Indian painter known for blending European realistic techniques with Indian mythological themes. His paintings of gods, goddesses, and epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata became extremely popular and widely reproduced. He was not a dancer, politician, or historian, though his works are important historical sources for understanding visual culture.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on identifying Raja Ravi Varma's primary field of contribution. Step 2: Recall that he created famous paintings depicting scenes from Indian mythology and daily life. Step 3: Match this with the option ‘‘Painting’’ among the four choices. Step 4: Eliminate Dance, Politics, and History because there is no strong evidence of him being a major practitioner in these areas. Step 5: Conclude that the correct answer is ‘‘Painting’’.

Verification / Alternative check:
When you see prints of Indian deities in old calendars and pictures, many of them are often inspired by or directly based on Ravi Varma's style and compositions. He is frequently described in textbooks as a ‘‘pioneer of modern Indian painting’’ or a ‘‘famous painter’’. This consistent description confirms that painting is his field.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Dance: There are no major sources describing him as a classical or folk dancer.
Politics: He was not a political leader or statesman; his fame comes from art, not governance.
History: While historians study his works, he himself is not primarily a historian by profession.

Common Pitfalls:
Sometimes students see a royal-sounding name like ‘‘Raja’’ and might mistakenly link it with politics or ruling families. It is important to remember that ‘‘Raja’’ here is part of his name and not only a political title. The key association should be ‘‘Ravi Varma – painter’’.

Final Answer:
Late Raja Ravi Varma was an eminent figure in the field of Painting.