IT WAS IN 1881 THAT ART IN BARODA FOUND SIGNIFICANT INSTITUTIONAL PARONAGE. This was the year Raja Ravi Varma was commissioned to paint the coronation of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. Sayajirao was so impressed with the painting that Ravi Varma was accorded the honour of being a state guest at the investiture ceremony. He was even invited to stay in Baroda and was given studio facilities in order to work on a handsome commission that included portraits of the royal family as well as a series of 14 mythological paintings.

Today, the Maharaja Fatesinh Museum and the Laxmi Vilas Palace in Baroda own the largest number of high quality Raja Ravi Varma works outside Kerala. It was Sir T. Madhav Rao, the Dewan of Baroda and Sayajirao's mentor, who suggested to Ravi Varma that he should attempt to reproduce his works as oleographs: "It would hardly be possible for you, with only a pair of hands, to meet such a large demand. Send, therefore, a few of your select works to Europe and have them oleographed."1 Thanks to his advice, Varma created a strong base of fans all over India; his influence continues to be pervasive more than a century later.

Allure Gallery's inaugural show. A Dream Realized: In support of Muni Sewa Ashram, Baroda,
held from the 3^rd to the 17^th of May 2008.

The 19th century saw other important links develop between art and its patrons. In 1890, Sayajirao established the Kalavant Karkhana (also known as the Kala Bhavan), which later became the Faculties of Fine Arts and Performing Arts when the M.S. University of Baroda was formed in 1949-50. For many years, the Faculty of Fine Arts' Exhibition Hall was the only formal gallery space in Baroda that allowed a healthy interaction between the artist and the viewer-buyer. It mainly showcased work by students and teachers as well as artists invited by the Faculty.

In the late 1970s, Urja Art Gallery, the city's first commercial gallery of any consequence, opened at the newly constructed Sardar Patel Planetarium in Sayaji Garden, just opposite the Faculty of Fine Arts. Urja rented this space for the duration of its exhibitions, and was run by Jyoti Patel (a discerning art collector), Anita Patel and Nisha Grover (wives of architects Manoj Patel and Karan Grover respectively). It displayed the works of eminent Indian and international artists. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Urja was largely responsible for teaching Barodians to appreciate and collect art. Since the Planetarium was the first of its kind in Gujarat, it was a major tourist destination. While they waited for shows to begin at the Planetarium, people would often visit the gallery.