Portraits of Eminent Indians

Mass reproductions of grayscale photographs was an expensive proposition for publishers of periodicals, newspapers in the early part of 20th century and this gave rise to the art forms of cartoons, and pen and ink portraits, which could be reproduced just in black and white without the shades of gray.

Indian publishers during the 1950s and 1960s called upon artist V.N.O'key, more than anyone else, to provide these portraits for their publications. An excellent photographer and a fine artist,  O'key was very well versed in art form of pen and ink portraits, as one can see from this collection.

We are grateful to T. Narasimha Shenoy, nephew of  Late V.N. O'key for making these portraits available, and Prof. Madhu Dandavate for the brief biographic sketches. Some of the portraits were drawn during 1980s.



Charles Correa
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Architect Charles Correa
Athlete P.T. Usha
P.T. Usha
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

Film Maker Satyajit Ray
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Satyajit Ray
Rukmini Arundale
Rukminidevi Arundale (1906-1986)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

Homi Jahangir Bhabha
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Nuclear Scientist Bhabha
Punjabi Writer Pritam
Amrita Pritam (1919 -2005)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

Mother Teresa
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Ink Portrait of Mother Teresa
Col. Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu
C.K. Nayudu (1895-1967)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

Yusuf Meherally (1903-1950)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Socialist Meherally
Ram Mohan Lohia
Socialist Leader R.M. Lohia (1910-1967)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

Jayaprakash Narayan (1902-1979)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Jayaprakash Narayan
Portrait by V.N. Okey
Acharya Narendra Dev (1889-1956)
Freedom fighter and social reformer Acharya Narendra Dev

Swami Dayanand Saraswati
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Dayanand Saraswati
E.V. Periyar Ramaswami Naicker
Ramaswami Naicker ( 1879 -1973)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Reformer Mohan Roy
Social Reformer Ramabai
Pandita Ramabai
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

Narayan Guru (1854 - 1928)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Social Reformer Narayan Guru
Saint Vinoba Bhave
Vinoba Bhave (1895 -1982)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

Thakkar Bappa (1869-1951)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Social Worker Thakkar Bappa
S. Ramanujan
Srinivas Ramanujan
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

P.C. Ray (1861- 1944)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Indian Chemist P.C. Ray
Chembai Vaidyanatha
Chembai Vaidyanatha (1894-1974)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

C.V. Raman
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Scientist C.V. Raman
Sardar Patel
Vallabhbhai Patel (1875-1950)
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan
A Pathan leader who led Muslims in non-vilolent protests against British
Badashah Khan
Prime Minister Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

Swami Vivekananda
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Swami Vivekananda
Ramana Maharshi
Ramana Maharshi
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

J. Krishnamurti
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Aurobindo Ghosh
Sri Aurobindo
Portrait in India ink by V.N. O'key

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