A Portraitist, watercolourist and an award winning Film Art Director Murlidhar Ramachandra Acharekar (1907-1979) completed his Diploma in painting from the Govt. College of Maharashtra, Bombay. While still pursuing his education he became involved in the discipline of Printmaking and Portraiture and soon opened up a lithographic press in Bombay. Post his education he was appointed as Junior Teacher at the Ketkar Institute of Art, Bombay in the year 1923. From 1932-34 he spent two years studying European Art and its techniques at the Royal College of Art, London. While studying in London, Acharekar was chosen to execute some very important commissions as painting the historical event of the inauguration of the Round Table Conference by his late Majesty King George V of the United Kingdom, in 1932 and the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of King George V in 1935, to name a few.

Acharekar also emerged as an educator when his famed book called 'Rupadarshini, An Indian Approach to Human Form' was published in 1949; his other books mainly include pencil drawings/ images from Hindu Cave Temples of Ellora and Elephanta. His book 'Apostle of Peace' is a series of the artist's splendid pencil sketches of Jawaharlal Nehru and validates his brilliance as a portraitist. Acharekar was also an excellent watercolourist. The exhibition of his works in watercolour and tempera in 1973 depicted the first hundred years of the freedom movement (1757-1856) and was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.

Acharekar is also known for his long standing association and contribution to the Indian Cinema, his excellence in Art Direction won him many prestigious awards. Acharekar served as president of Cine Art Directors Association of India, Bombay and was President, Bombay Art Society, Bombay, from the years 1972-73. The artist was also awarded with the Padmashree in 1968 by the Govt. of India.

The painting is one of the 52 works M.R. Acharekar was commissioned for on the commemorative occasion celebrating the completion of the first hundred years of the freedom movement (1757- 1856). Partha Mitter in his book 'The Triumph of Modernism: India's Artists and the Avant-garde, 1922-47' writes, "Acharekar specialized in a loose impressionist style with heavy impasto colours, quick brush strokes and loose application of paint, to build up a sketch-like rough surface with speckled light distributed over the whole painted surface." Acharekar in this impressionistic style that Partha Mitter speaks of created the 52 set of paintings that are infused with the rebellion and the hostilities of wars organised by the untrained tribal folks and the civilians against the private army of East India Company.

The resentment against foreign rule and the atrocities at the hand of the Company had stirred a political turmoil which resulted in uprising in different parts of the country. The patriotic emotions and the struggle of the natives is well encapsulated in the paintings specially executed by the artist.

Velu Thampi Dalawa rose to the post of the prime minister of Travancore a midst much court intrigues and was constantly involved in the politics of the state with both the Raja and the British Company's Resident, Macauly. He successfully quelled the stringent taxation policy of the Raja of Travancore with his rebellion and acquired the position of Prime Minister. He was forced to rebel against the British Resident, Macaulay as he did not want to pay additional taxes from an impoverished treasury and also as a direct fall out with Macaulay, who constantly interfered in the affairs of the Thiruvithamkur. The Resident was not satisfied with Velu Thampi Dalawa relinquishing his administrative position alone but left no opportunity to humiliate him which resulted in the revolt.

The rebellion arose under the leadership of Velu Thampi Dalawa when the British tried to capture the state of Travancore. The revolt lasted for a year and finally the army of Devan Velu Thambi was defeated in 1809 in Cochin.

The artist describes the painting with a subtitle which reads- Velu Thambi was defeated and he fled to forest. Acharekar has made two paintings of Devan Velu in the forest, both are very different to each other. This one shows him Thicket, while the other one shows him entering the forest.