Temples To Home: Legacy Of Tanjore Painting

Tanjore Painting (Source: Tanjore Oviyam)

Within the walls of many South Indian homes that worship Hindu gods, lies an artistic masterpiece—a dazzling gold-plated artwork that radiates divine power and grace. You’ve probably guessed that we're talking about the iconic Tanjore painting.

The Tanjore painting also known as Thanjavur painting, is not just an art form, it is a sacred expression of devotion. These paintings depict Hindu gods and goddesses in a variety of poses, capturing moments of grace, power, and transcendence.

These works of art hail from South India and carry with them the weight of royal heritage. Adorned with real gold and bathed in vibrant colors, the Tanjore painting is a rare gem, precious and profound.

Historical insights

During the 18th century, the Marathas elevated Tanjore paintings, making them famous across India. Even today, it remains a celebrated form of art, with influences from various artistic traditions, including Vijayanagara art and Mughal miniature styles.

A painting of King Serfoji Ii (Source: Rani Arts & Teaks)

This type of art reflects the cultural exchanges between Indian and European styles during the colonial era. Over time, it has evolved into modern art while still preserving traditional techniques. Historically, artists used materials that were natural and traditional, including:

• Wood plank (Palagai)

• Gadda cloth (Cotton fabric)

• Plant root adhesive (Kezhangu passai) – used to attach cloth to the board

• Chalk powder (Sunambu kal) – used for coating the cloth

• Charcoal dust (Kari) – used for tracing the design

• Squirrel tail brush (Anil Vaal brush) – used for painting

• Colors (Mooligai color) – sourced from country medicine shops

  
  

Tanjore paintings were not just art, they were also a livelihood for many people in Tanjore, providing employment and skill development.

Tanjore Painting Artist (Source: Indianfolkart)

Crafts of Tanjore Art

Tanjore paintings, also known as 'Palagai Padam' (wood plank paintings), are typically created on wooden boards and embellished with bold, sparkling colors. In earlier times, precious stones like diamonds and rubies were used to decorate these paintings, while the painting was made with 22-karat gold foil. The remaining parts of the painting were filled with vibrant hues.

Darbar Krishna (Source: Tarang Arts)

As we’ve learned, worship was the primary purpose of Tanjore paintings. These artworks often drew inspiration from mythological stories, puranas, and sthala-puranas. They often feature Hindu deities such as Lord Krishna, whose childhood stories, or Goddess Lakshmi showering blessings, serve as the artistic inspiration. This religious connection has allowed the traditional values and techniques of Tanjore painting to thrive through generations.

Tanjore paintings are known for their intricate gesso work and are often framed in architecturally defined spaces.

Preserving Tradition

Tanjore paintings are protected under the Geographical Indications (GI) Act, which recognizes them as a unique art form from Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. This GI tag ensures that only genuine paintings created by skilled artisans in the region can bear the name, safeguarding the livelihood of the craftsmen.

Gi Indication Tag (Source: X)

Did You Know? Tanjore paintings are influenced from various dynasties and cultures, including the Deccan, Vijayanagara, Marathi, and even European painting styles.

The Uniqueness of Tanjore Art

• Themes: Unlike the paintings of northern India, which often focus on themes of kings and wars, Tanjore paintings are primarily centered around religious themes.

  

  Themes and Motifs of Tanjore Art (Source: Memiraki)

• Color Usage: Tanjore paintings are renowned for their vibrant colors, ranging from the deepest hues of orange, green, and red to soft pinks and yellows.

  

  Peacock Tanjore Art (Source: JLineArt)

• Materials: Tanjore paintings were traditionally created on wood, canvas, glass, paper, palm leaves, and even mica. Exotic materials such as ivory were also used, with small ivory portraits often worn as cameo pendants called raja haram, which were quite popular.

  
  

  In addition to using precious Kundan stones (like rubies), contemporary artists now often use Jaipur stones to embellish the painting. Artists often utilized natural pigments from vegetables and minerals to color their paintings. Tanjore paintings are more than just visual masterpieces—they are a testament to tradition, craftsmanship, and devotion.

Natural Materials Used In Tanjore Painting (Source: D Source)

Process

Here are the steps you can follow to make your own Tanjore painting.

An artist making a Tanjore Painting (Source: Cottage 9)

STEP 1: Board cutting. Tanjore paintings are traditionally created on canvas affixed to wooden planks, typically made from jackfruit or teak.

STEP 2: Board making: soft smooth the edges with sandpaper

STEP 3: Mix glue & water and dip the cloth ( Gada Cloth-Type Of Cotton Cloth) in glue water.

STEP 4: Lay the cloth on the board with close attention achieving a taut and well-bound canva.

STEP 5: Paint the glue and re-do it 3 times.

STEP 6: Wipe the board with a wet cloth

STEP 7: Coat again with chalk+tamarind

STEP 8: Carbon sheets on the painting of God/goddess template.

STEP 9: Draw/ trace it out on the painting on the sheet to the carbon sheet.

STEP 10: Glue on and place the gems by using toothpicks on the designs.

STEP 11: Apply paste over the gems & Let it dry off.

STEP 12: Dip 2 fingers in water, and rub over gems a bit rough to wipe off the paste from gems just to show a projection of gems.

Paste Work (Source: Chola Impression)

STEP 13: Press the foil on the design and remove it, to cut out the design. Then apply Arabic gum as traditionally used.

Foil Pressing (Source: D'source)

STEP 14: Paint the areas left out ( base painting)

STEP 15: Detailing of elements such as jewels, costumes, etc.

STEP 16: Draw black outlines on the gold leaf design to highlight.

STEP 17: Remove foil from the stone, through a presser.

YAY!! Now that we've spent some time together, you’ve learned the basics of creating an authentic Tanjore painting. But let’s be real—our first attempt will never quite capture the true essence of this art. Perhaps it's because these masterpieces are deeply infused with the emotions of the artists who create them. Isn’t it beautiful how humans pour their passion into their craft? For many, Tanjore paintings are more than just art—they are a spiritual journey. The artists don’t just carry on a family tradition; they carry the emotion, the connection to something divine, which makes their work so special and meaningful.

Types of Tanjore Art

Let's check out the different types of Tanjore art!

1. Flat Work - Also known as 2D painting, this style uses semi-precious stones to create intricate designs.

Flat Work: Krishnar Tanjore's art (Source: Kuuraii)

2. Semi-Embossed- In semi-embossed paintings, features such as faces, flowers, and other details are depicted as flat work, while the rest of the body is raised and embossed.

Semi-Embossed Painting: Gaja Lakshmi Art (Source: SaatchiArt)

3. Full-Embossed- This 3D painting style features embossed stones throughout the artwork, making the art project outward for a rich, textured effect.

Full-Embossed: Balaji (Source: Balaji Tanjore Art Gallery)

4. Company Style- The term 'Company painting' is a broad term for a variety of hybrid styles that emerged under European (especially British) influence in the 18th and 19th centuries.

   These paintings were specifically created for British patrons, depicting Indian subjects in a manner that appealed to Western tastes. The approach was more documentary than imaginative. One of the distinguishing features of Company-style Tanjore paintings is the use of Western perspective techniques, in contrast to the more stylized, flat perspectives common in traditional Tanjore art.

Company Painting: Rama and Hanuman Fighting Ravana (Source: Artisera)

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